The truth behind triggers
One of the hardest things about struggling with mental health is learning about what triggers you and why.
First and foremost, triggers are paired associations. Triggers are formed based on associating a traumatic event to one of our 5 senses.
In any given moment, triggers activate one of these senses which makes us relive the experience in our brain that was previously perceived as a threat. This association ultimately make us relive the traumatic experience over and over again in our heads.
Identifying triggers
When reliving trauma, it’s not just something happening mentally, it’s a physical sense that triggers it.
The problems with triggers can remind us of the pain we once felt in the past. A certain street name, location in your town, ice cream, etc. could trigger someone because it is specific to that trauma they experienced. That’s what most people don’t understand about triggers. They often come out of no where because our brain recognizes a cue that once caused us pain which is why people usually lash out.
Think about the traumatic experience. What pain do you feel? And why do you feel this pain?
What even triggers you and what part of that experience with the trigger causes you to react in a certain way?
Sometimes the best thing you can do is notice these feelings and cope with them rather trying to dig too deep when you’re not ready.
What is a trigger?
Triggers are out of control and usually cause very strong emotional reactions. When someone is triggered in the moment, that individual is able to mentally see the trauma while others can’t. Many people don’t understand triggers because they don’t understand why something so ordinary could cause such an extreme reaction.
It isn’t about the trigger, its about what that trigger made you feel when you experienced this traumatic event in your life. Even certain words or phrases could cause one to become triggered and fearful.
You are seeing something mentally that others couldn’t. So think about this…what triggered you in the moment, and how does it associate to perceived trauma in our brains.
How can we come to peace with triggers?
This leads me to the question: How can we heal?
This is going to be a hard but valuable experience for you because it will allow you to grow and become the best version of yourself. We don’t want to let these negative events consume so much of our life because it is not worth the energy and toll it is takin on your mental health and body.
Noting your triggers is the first step of the healing process.
When looking back through memories, it’s important to recognize events that inflicted negative emotions onto you.
From experiencing triggers and going through this exact process, I have further reinforced that all emotions need to be dealt with even the ones we want to avoid.
Acceptance of all feelings is ultimately how one will be whole.
Trauma is different from person to person, but it is crucial that we deal with all lingering emotions in our head.
Ask yourself: What emotions do I feel when I think about this trigger and where do they stem from?
Learning where your triggers stem from will lead you to internal peace.
Recognize progressions of emotions
Don’t just use words like “sad, mad, upset, etc.” Use words like furious, irrational, angry, enraged, disgusted, betrayed, jealous, hurt, frustrated, crushed, heavy, etc.
Recognize when you start to feel this way because that likely means you need to start using coping mechanisms to help yourself calm down.
Next, start to list emotions that you hope to feel in the future. Use words like want to feel at peace, healthy, renewed, strengthened, secure, empowered, confident, refreshed, etc.
Reprogram negative beliefs about the trigger
When thinking about what triggers you, start to reshape that thinking and frame it into a positive way.
It’s important to justify for yourself why and when something isn’t true.
Change the way you think about this trigger. Can you grow from it? Why do you let it consume so much of your subconscious? Would this burden be lifted if I came to peace with my trigger?
These are all important questions to ask yourself:)
Start with empowering statements:
I will become stronger for accepting…
I will be okay…
I am more than my thoughts…
I won’t let this…
Reasons someone may get triggered
They felt unfairly judged, blamed, or disrespected.
They didn’t feel seen or heard
The other person was voicing their own stance without any open mindedness/ receptiveness to their perception.
They were in “survival mode”/ “burned out”/ in a bad mental state
Accordingly, they were vulnerable to having an outburst or breaking down.
They felt their needs were being neglected and as a result, felt under-appreciated and unloved.
They felt backed into a corner, powerless, or unsafe
Please understand the cause behind one’s response before judging the response itself.
I found this podcast that I have been listening to and I definitely recommend. The Butterfly Effect is a mental health podcast to help you navigate through adversity and begin your transformative journey to healing mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. There are so many different topics to listen to, so go try it out! This one in particular deals with uncovering the truth behind triggers.
With all of this in mind, triggers develop and can be worked on and worked through. However, these triggers never really go away….
You can only find acceptance
Communicate the reasons behind this trigger
Shape these feelings into something beneficial
Change behavior patterns or else this feeling of being attacked or in “fight or flight mode” will persist.
Remember you are more than your triggers and thoughts
Take things away that won’t benefit your growth
Tackle triggers head on
I hope this helped you if this is something that you needed:)
Use this to help you identify emotions with very specific feelings.
