Suggestions For Managing Triggers

Anyone who has been through trauma is familiar with triggers.  Triggers are anything that reminds you of trauma or prompts a flashback.  They can be as obvious as seeing your abuser or they can be more subtle like hearing a song your abuser listened to often.  Whatever the trigger is doesn’t really matter.  What matters is how you cope with them.  Today we are going to discuss some helpful tips in managing the painful emotions associated with triggers.  These tips also help when suffering flashbacks.

Grounding techniques are helpful for dealing with flashbacks but also with triggers.  Grounding involves focusing on something else other than the flashback or trigger.  To do this, you need to involve your senses.  I find it especially helpful to use things that are very obvious, such as the smell of lavender or touching a very coarse or soft fabric.  When something is so obvious, it kind of hijacks the senses, & demands your focus.  This is particularly useful during flashbacks since they tend to want to override your reality. 

Move!  The simple act of moving your body can shift your body’s physical response to triggers & enable you to deal with them emotionally.  You don’t have to go for a jog or ride a skateboard.  Simply walking around or even looking at your surroundings can be enough to help. 

Remind yourself of what is happening to you.  Remind yourself that you are safe.  You are simply being reminded of something that was traumatic.  That doesn’t mean you are in any danger.  The trigger is a normal part of being traumatized or abused, & there is nothing wrong with you for experiencing it. 

Snuggle your beloved pet.  Animals are the BEST!  They offer unconditional love, companionship, entertainment & more.  They are also wonderful for helping during darker times such as during flashbacks & triggers.  If you are experiencing this pain, snuggle your furbaby & let them help you.  There can be so much comfort in this!  In fact, did you know that there is healing in cat purrs?  It’s true!  The sound is known to release endorphins not only in cats but in humans as well.  This means a purring kitty can help you to lower your stress level & even lower your blood pressure!  Cats truly are magical!

Don’t judge yourself for being triggered.  It can be hard not to do this sometimes, but it is important not to judge yourself when triggered.  It only adds to your frustration & even shame, & there is no point in it!  Instead, accept that they are a normal part of life after trauma.

Don’t try to avoid triggers.  As tempting as it may be to try to avoid triggers, doing so isn’t healthy.  For one thing, it’s very frustrating since avoiding them completely is impossible.  For another, avoiding them doesn’t help you to heal.  If you look at triggers as a sign you need healing in specific areas, then focus on healing in those areas, you heal & grow a little more with each trigger you face.  And as an added bonus, the things that once were painful triggers stop hurting so much.  The pain may not entirely disappear, but it at the very least will diminish greatly.  There may be times you need to take a break from emotional healing work & avoid your triggers when possible, but for the sake of your mental health, don’t try to avoid them permanently!

Triggers are a totally normal part of life after trauma, but they don’t have to rule your life.  You can use them to your advantage, & heal & grow from them.