Understanding Trauma Triggers
As we shared in our last blog, as humans, we often remember and re-experience trauma through our feelings and bodies long after a traumatic experience has happened.
Some people who have experienced traumatic events remember the event or event(s); others might not.
Neuroscience has taught us that after traumatic experiences, the brain and body look for input that could indicate a threat or danger.
input from our environment that could be (even a little) connected to a traumatic event is called a trigger.
For example:
You experience tightness in your chest whenever you pass the intersection where you had a car accident.
Your cheeks flush, and you clench your fists when someone touches you.
You feel nauseous when you walk into a building with a similar smell to where you were bullied as a child.
The sight of bare cabinets causes panic and drives bingeing behaviors after growing up with food insecurity.
Starting to recognize your trauma triggers is essential to healing after experiencing trauma. It is important to remember that you never choose to be triggered. Instead, this is an unconscious response to your environment that you can slowly work to bring into consciousness.
Many people are judgmental about their anger outbursts, persistent overwhelm, numbness, or difficulty mobilizing to care for everyday tasks.
It is essential to move away from judging yourself as “lazy” or “crazy” but begin to trust that what you feel emotionally and in your body has a significant meaning.
Despite how strong those feelings are, the more we understand what has led us to feel that way (how we were triggered), the more we can work toward healing our traumatized parts.
Maybe you aren’t a persistently aggressive or angry person- perhaps you have feeling memories that get triggered when you’re told no or experience criticism or unfairness.
Or, maybe you aren’t a loner- perhaps you’re experiencing memories of loneliness that get triggered when you are with people who don’t understand you.
What is the first step in working with trauma triggers?
It is essential to start to understand when you are triggered.
Beginning to see the signs of being triggered is the first step in understanding your present-day reality. This, in turn, allows you to differentiate if you are safe in the here and now, or if you are being triggered.
Some signs of being triggered are:
A feeling of numbness
Panic
Hating yourself and others
Outbursts of rage
Overwhelming washes of shame
Experiencing a pit in your stomach
Clenching your jaw
Overwhelming emotions
Shortness of breath
A feeling of collapse in the body
Wanting to give up or die
Urges for self-harm
Emotions and actions that do not fit your current situation
Urges to numb with alcohol or drugs
Sudden disconnection from yourself
Signs of being triggered will be unique to each person.
Working with a trauma therapist in Pennsylvania can help you understand your trauma triggers and how to work through and alongside them.
it can also be supportive of starting to record instances of being triggered:
What thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations came up, what happened just before, and what self-beliefs could explain why you feel this way? And what you did to cope with those things.
Eventually, being curious about whether thoughts and feelings you experience make the most sense in the present day context or if they make the most sense in your past experiences can be helpful in understanding when you are remembering or responding to present-day life.
To heal from traumatic experiences, working with your brain and your body to restore its ability to function outside of the search for threat and danger is the name of the game.
our brains have the unique and incredible ability to heal.
Need Support Navigating Trauma Triggers in Pennsylvania?
That’s what we do here at Reclaim Therapy- support people who have experienced trauma understand the why’s, how’s and what’s of their brain, nervous system, triggers, and trauma responses while working together to heal from traumatic experiences.
Our team of trauma therapists would be honored to work with you. If you are ready to start, contact Reclaim Therapy, Learn about your therapists, and begin healing.
We have an unwavering belief that you deserve to feel better. When you’re ready, we’ll be here.
🧡,
We’re a group of online trauma therapists in Pennsylvania
We provide specialized trauma therapy in Pennsylvania, eating disorder treatment, and body image counseling. We are passionate about helping people reclaim their lives after living through trauma. We’re here to support you whenever you’re ready.