Thread by @RachelintheOC

What does it mean to be "triggered?" In recent years, this term has been casually used to refer to the experience of having an emotional reaction, usually to some type of disturbing content in the form of media or in another social context,

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be that violence, mention of suicide, or other situations.

However, from a mental health perspective, being "triggered" more narrowly refers to the experience of people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

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re-experiencing symptoms of a traumatic event (such as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation) after being exposed to a trigger that is a catalyst or reminder.

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To be clear, we're referring to this more narrow definition, which respects the trauma we as survivors have experienced.

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Triggers can be internal or external, including smells, sights, sounds, and emotions that remind the person of the past trauma in some way. When a person with PTSD experiences being triggered in this way,

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it can lead to overwhelming emotions, including sadness, anxiety, panic, and flashbacks (vivid memories that appear without warning and can cause you to lose track of where you are or to relive a trauma).

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Triggers can also be relevant for those with other mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Those who are triggered may relapse into harmful habits.

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While we don't know exactly how triggers are formed, it's believed that traumatic memories are stored differently in the brain than non-traumatic memories.

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Past events may be interpreted as current threats, which causes the body to experience symptoms similar to the original trauma (such as the fight-or-flight response).

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We do know that triggers can cause an emotional reaction before a person realizes why they have become upset. Often, triggers have a strong sensory connection (a sight, sound, taste, or smell), or are connected in some way to a deeply ingrained habit

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(e.g., a recovering alcoholic who associates a particular activity with drinking).

Some refer to this as "traumatic coupling," where a trigger is connected to a traumatic experience, which causes you to relive symptoms.

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Triggers are a neurological response and very difficult to prevent or avoid, though there are ways of managing triggers, and feeling triggered.

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Knowing what our triggers are is a good starting point, and for most people, there are the known or obvious triggers, and then the hidden or less obvious triggers.

Acceptance of the way our brain is wired as a result of sexual harm is really key.

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Experiencing triggers is nothing to carry self-blame for, it is our internal way of trying to protect us from further potential danger.

Triggers are quite individual - learning what triggers us helps immensely.

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Once triggered, we can feel very unsettled, unsafe and even distressed. Trying to contain our response and feel grounded again is essential.

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Are Trigger Warnings Helpful?

There has been some debate as to whether trigger warnings are helpful or harmful, particularly in college classrooms. Trigger warnings are used to notify people of potential triggers in future discussion.

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Those who argue in favor of trigger warnings state that they give individuals a chance to prepare themselves for the trigger. Given that triggers tend to be more distressing if they come as a surprise, this could be viewed as helping those with PTSD

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and other mental health issues to feel safe.

At the same time, others argue that avoiding triggers only serves to maintain the symptoms of PTSD in the long-term and that the emotions that arise from triggers need to be properly dealt with in therapy,

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particularly if they interfere with daily life.

Thoughts? (Please use the hashtag #SexAbuseChat in your reply - thanks!)

(info courtesy of @Verywell)

@Verywell Note - this chat isn't specifically about trigger warnings - thank you

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@Verywell The best way of coping with triggers is to avoid them altogether. However, this is almost impossible to do. Why? Well, you cannot really avoid your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations.

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Much of these are out of our control. In regard to external triggers, we can take some steps to manage our environment (e.g, not going to certain places that we know will trigger us), but we cannot control everything that happens to us.

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For example, you might inadvertently come into contact with a news story or conversation that reminds you of your traumatic event.3

Because we often cannot avoid triggers, it is important to learn ways of coping with them.

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Effective, healthy coping strategies for lessening the impact of triggers include:

Mindfulness
Relaxation
Self-soothing
Grounding
Expressive writing
Social support
Deep breathing

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The more strategies you have available to you, the better off you will be in managing your triggers. In addition, the more coping strategies you have, the more likely you will be able to prevent the development of unhealthy coping strategies.

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Further, simply being more aware of your triggers can be beneficial. As a result of this increased awareness, your emotional reactions may begin to feel more understandable, valid, predictable, and less out of control.

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Helpful to identify the differences between a trigger and stress - many times survivors confuse feeling discomfort or stress with being triggered. Keep in mind that a psychological trigger is tied to your trauma, which is helpful to delineate what's happening

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Social media can be extremely stress-inducing for survivors - e.g., this chat may bring up anxiety and stress. Is it triggering? Depending on the topic, it can be if it relates specifically to the abuse. Walk away if you need to (we'll miss you yet understand!)

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A big thank you to @Verywell for their excellent info on triggers. Here are two articles you can read to find out more:

What Does It Mean to Be 'Triggered?' buff.ly/2SkpWXC

How Can You Manage Your PTSD When It Is Triggered? buff.ly/2PKd8au

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