Being “triggered” can mean very different things for different people, especially since trigger-inducing traumas can range from eating disorders to self-harm to sexual violence, so we spoke to psychologists and trauma experts to better understand what it means to be triggered and how to approach and respond to these overwhelming moments. Triggers can stem from very obvious traumas like sexual violence and war experiences, but they can also stem from micro-traumas in which subtle hurts build up over time. Margaret Crastnopol, Ph.D., a Seattle-based psychologist and psychoanalyst who has studied the phenomenon in depth, defines micro-trauma as “seemingly insignificant experiences that are emotionally injurious to oneself or another. Because they seem so minor, they can easily be ignored, denied, or otherwise swept under the psychic rug.” Whether the trauma experienced was a life-threatening instance or a series of more subtle instances that built over time, feeling triggered remains a deeply uncomfortable experience. Darsa notes that the feeling is “likely to take you out of your body, making you less present in the moment,” in addition to any emotional distress or panic a person might experience in response to the trigger-inducing stimulus. “Every human being is different in how they react to triggering factors and what specific factors may be triggering to them, as well as how easily they can get triggered,” Darsa explains. “Some can get triggered very quickly simply by a noise in the background, while some get triggered by a new traumatic instance that brought up the memory of an old one.” According to psychologist Catherine Athans, Ph.D., triggers can also come from “family line” or “group” traumas. “The attitudes and strong beliefs of parents affect children in an unconscious manner, so the next generation assumes those same thoughts and beliefs without knowing," says Athans. “This is family line trauma. It sits in the subconscious like a cesspool. Group trauma is similar, except the strong beliefs are assumed by a group instead of genetically.” Triggers may also come from an individual’s suppressed emotions, thoughts, and beliefs born from their own life experience. “One who is triggered by a certain noise, for example, might experience extreme anxiety to the noise, while another who is also triggered by a noise might feel it in their body by experiencing pain in a certain part of their body,” Darsa explains. Trauma is stored in the body, and this can manifest in “stuck” or “frozen” emotions triggering physical responses such as chronic pain or tension. In short, each person can respond differently to certain triggers, and their reactions can be emotional reactions, physical reactions, anxiety reactions, etc. But there is not necessarily a solid differentiation between types of triggers, as they are unique experiences for each individual and each body. Darsa says that trigger warnings are helpful in the sense that they give the room for an individual’s mind and body to prepare for a triggering event, which might lead them to dissociate, have a panic attack, and go into emotional distress. The warning gives the opportunity for the individual to make the decision on experiencing the trigger, instead of it crawling up on them as an unpleasant surprise, which most likely was the case at the onset of their trauma. “Knowing that there is an upcoming trigger could be helpful in being prepared and keeping ourselves more grounded, thus having a less negative experience when face to face with the trigger,” Darsa tells mbg. Still, there’s always the potential of too much of something good. Darsa reminds us that the trigger response itself could be the body’s reaction of protecting itself from a potential threat by making one lose presence in the moment to get away from the threatful situation. “It is important to learn the skills to cope with triggers and keep yourself grounded while dealing with these triggers and prevent them from impacting your functionality in your daily activities,” she says. “Think about what caused the shift in your emotional and physical distress, external factors like noises you heard, things you saw, people around you, etc.,” Darsa suggests. “You may not directly be able to make the connection to a past traumatic event; however, once you identify a pattern and become aware of what causes the reaction, you may dig in deeper and try to understand why you are having such a reaction.” “It is also important to gain grounding skills to help you stay present in moments of distress due to a trigger. Practicing mindfulness on a general basis will allow one to develop the ability to be in the moment and increase self-awareness, awareness of your surroundings, and awareness of your thoughts. Mindfulness practices are very beneficial in providing one with the skills of being present and to ground themselves in triggering situations,” Darsa explains. However, not all of us have access to therapy. Fortunately, there are also mindfulness techniques such as deep belly breathing, meditation, EFT tapping1, and a myriad of somatic techniques for releasing “stuck” emotions (think yoga, self-massage, freeform dance, or just good ol’ screaming into a pillow) that we can do all on our own to take charge of triggers and begin to transform what scares us most. We write more about expert-backed ways to tackle trauma in our 2022 wellness trends.
