When someone is triggered, it means that they're having a strong, uncomfortable emotional reaction to a stimulus that wouldn't ordinarily cause that response. While triggered, people may panic, feel overwhelmed, cry, act out, withdraw, or react defensively.
Signs You've Been Triggered: Examples of Trauma Symptoms
Bothered by small things.
Sensory sensitivity – easily overstimulated, bothered by noises or body sensations that don't always bother you (e.g. touch from others, tags on clothing)
Initial reactions to trauma can include exhaustion, confusion, sadness, anxiety, agitation, numbness, dissociation, confusion, physical arousal, and blunted affect. Most responses are normal in that they affect most survivors and are socially acceptable, psychologically effective, and self-limited.
It is normal to have strong reactions following a distressing or frightening event, but these should begin to reduce after a few weeks. People can experience a range of physical, mental, emotional and behavioural reactions.
In these cases, a trigger is anything that prompts an increase in or return of symptoms. For example, a person recovering from a substance use disorder might be triggered by seeing someone using their drug of choice. The experience might cause returned cravings and even relapse.
Often, people trigger each other accidentally because they are not aware of what kinds of things might be upsetting. Sometimes people use emotional attacks because they are upset and don't have safer communication tools. And, some people will deliberately try to trigger you to get you to lower your boundaries.
A trauma trigger is a stimulus that causes memories or reactions to severe or sustained trauma. For example: You get a tight feeling in your chest every time you drive past the place where you had a car accident. Your palms sweat and your cheeks flush when a certain person touches you.
Slowing down and deepening your breath will stimulate your vagus nerve — part of your body's “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system — and help to push you back into a more relaxed state of in mind. Lengthen your exhales, and focus on breathing from your belly.
Talk to the person who triggered you so you can both avoid the situation from repeating. Be calm and composed. You have to communicate to yourself by identifying what you feel. An example would be: slamming the door at your partner for not noticing the effort you put into your relationship.
How do you communicate with someone who is triggered?
How to help someone who's been triggered
Ask: “Is it possible you might be having a flashback?” Remind them you know what they're feeling is very real, but that these feelings can't hurt them now in the present.
Remind them: “It's ok to feel afraid, but you're not in any danger. ...
Step 1: Relax. Step 2: Identify what is triggering you. Step 3: Decide how to react to the trigger. Relaxation strategies such as muscle relaxation and positive mental imagery can help you manage stress reactions and allow you to cope with unexpected triggers.
How do you know if your trauma has been triggered?
Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event. Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks) Upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event. Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the traumatic event.
Emotional triggers, also called mental health triggers or psychological triggers, are things (e.g. memories, objects, people) that spark intense negative emotions. This change in emotions can be abrupt, and in most cases it will feel more severe than what the trigger would logically call for.
While most adults know that teasing or bullying can trigger a behavior issue, many are not aware that some children also respond negatively to unwanted praise. Other common behavior triggers include overstimulation (bright lights, loud noises, etc.), transitions and having to interact with someone they don't like.
A trigger is a stimulus that elicits a reaction. In the context of mental illness, "trigger" is often used to mean something that brings on or worsens symptoms. This often happens to people with a history of trauma or who are recovering from mental illness, self-harm, addiction, and/or eating disorders.
