TRIGGERS

Sometimes in our lives, we experience challenging and traumatic situations that cause our body to respond in ways that affect our thoughts, body and general well-being; in other words, we get triggered.

Triggering is our body's way of being overprotective by becoming hyper-vigilant and overly alert as a way of preventing more harm.

What Situations Can Cause Triggers

It is possible in life that certain situations and people encountered in various settings, relationships or environments may lead to trauma. This may even be at the hands of family members, spouses or from intruders, robbers, car hijackers, car accidents, Gender-based violence, pandemics, political instability, wars and rumours of wars, acts of terrorism, grief and loss of loved ones; and the list is non-exhaustive.

Often attachment injury happens

"when one member in a relationship violates the expectation that the other will offer comfort and caring in times of danger or distress"; only to feel let down (Johnson,2023). Moreover, feelings of being abandoned or betrayal of trust in times of need can lead to attachment injury that may result in the injured individual making a vow to never allow themselves to be vulnerable again.

Similarly, attachment injuries often become overwhelmingly triggered resulting in intense and complex emotions.

Hence, after trauma exposure, certain attachment people and settings (environments) linked to your trauma experiences may continue to be the cause of your triggers even after the situation has long passed, and the threat no longer present.

Fighting triggers may create more stress, therefore since you don't completely have control over triggers, it may be best to notice the triggers, acknowledge that you are triggered, and choose how to respond to the triggers.

Assess if a real threat exists, assess your thoughts about the situation and choose how to behave.

# Remember that your past traumatic experiences or adverse childhood experiences left scars (field of landmines) in your brain or life, therefore as a way to protect you, your body and brain 🧠 are more concerned with protecting you from more traumatic experiences,and often does that by being hyper-aroused, on guard or hyper-vigilant.

What can I do then?

# When triggered, remember, it's not your fault.

# Remind yourself that it is just a memory, a trigger and you are safe.

# Admit and verbalize: "I am safe, am just triggered, it's just a thought and it will pass".

# Affirmations, positive self-talk.

# Notice your thoughts, and your emotions and do body scanning for tension.

# Name the emotions, and assess the beliefs you have developed about yourself because of the situation.

# Challenge negative thoughts

# Avoid believing the lie that it was your fault or always on alert (fight-flight, freeze, or submit mode) and believing that something terrible is about to happen; catastrophizing keeps you on high alert and can be draining mentally and physically creating a vicious cycle.

# Notice your surroundings; things you can see, touch, sounds you can hear, the scent you can pick/smell and something you can taste (if possible). Ground yourself.

# Notice your breathing

Conclusion

"Do not Allow the Past to own you in the Present"

References

Courtois, C. A., & Ford, J. D. (Eds.). (2009). Treating complex traumatic stress disorders: An evidence-based guide (p. 82). New York: Guilford Press.

Fisher, J., & Ogden, P. (2009). Sensorimotor psychotherapy. Treating complex traumatic stress disorders: An evidence-based guide, 312-328.

Greenberg, L. S. (2004). Emotion–focused therapy. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy: An International Journal of Theory & Practice, 11(1), 3-16.

Johnson, S. M. (2019). Attachment theory in practice: Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) with individuals, couples, and families. Guilford Publications.

Johnson, S. M., & Greenberg, L. S. (1992). Emotionally focused therapy: Restructuring attachment.

Johnson, S., & Campbell,L. (2023, Sept 8). Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) for Attachment Trauma. Transforming Psychological Wounds for Adult Clients Traumatized as Children.  Live webinar.  PESI;Psychotherapy Networker. https://www.pesi.com

Klein, R. H., & Schermer, V. L. (Eds.). (2000). Group psychotherapy for psychological trauma. Guilford Press.

Ogden, P., Pain, C., & Fisher, J. (2006). A sensorimotor approach to the treatment of trauma and dissociation. Psychiatric Clinics, 29(1), 263-279.

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2003). Psychological trauma. American Psychiatric Pub.