This article is not regarding PTSD.

   If we have been traumatized by something in our past, we can re-experience some of those feelings through smells, sounds or situations. These are commonly called “triggers.” They are automatic and we usually don’t have control over them. All of a sudden, our brains react as if there is a threat, even if no threat exists. Recognizing our triggers is the main way we can manage our responses in a more constructive way. 

   Our brains are wired to detect a threat so that our bodies will either fight, freeze or flee. I’ve noticed with myself that I sometimes will do all three. My first reaction is to freeze. Therefore, if someone says something that makes me feel under attack I freeze. My breathing slows and I automatically start to look at everything in my surrounding area. My body prepares itself subconsciously for the next step which will either be fight or flee. Once I see a clear path to a doorway I know I can flee so then after I freeze, I leave. If there is no easy exit, then my body prepares to fight. My adrenalin increases, my heart rate increases and my muscles tighten. I don’t mean that these are thoughts going through my mind and I’m planning any response. These things happen in a matter of seconds, before the rational part of my brain has an opportunity to react. 

   I was “triggered” not long ago by a doctor. I’m not sure what issues the doctor was experiencing, but as soon as he walked into the examination room, he stood with his back to the door, pressed against it. I didn’t realize I was being triggered by feeling trapped, but my body determined there was a threat. My heart started beating faster, I began to feel anxious, and I was breathing in short, fast breaths. I started to panic because my only exit was blocked. Now, rationally, there is no threat. A doctor isn’t going to attack me for no reason. But the rational mind had no power over those instincts. All I knew in the present time was that I wanted to leave. NOW! He started to ask me some questions about why I was there. He didn’t take a seat, he didn’t make eye contact and wasn’t taking notes. My speech became a bit garbled as I wasn’t able to formulate cohesive thoughts. 

   He said words, I said words, he checked me and then I got the heck out of there! I heard a few of his words but in a disjointed way and not full thoughts. He was clearly uncomfortable and so the energy in the room reflected that. This didn’t feel like a safe space. Once I got home, I deconstructed what had happened and realized it was because I felt trapped. This has been an issue for me since I was stalked as a teenager and my stalker dragged me into nearby woods and pinned me to the ground where I couldn’t leave and had no control over my situation.   

   We are being taught to be careful of what we say and what we do because we don’t want to “trigger” someone who may have had trauma. Obviously, we don’t want to cause any emotional harm to anyone. But in order to heal we have to know what triggers us and why. It’s difficult to know what your triggers are until you experience one. Once we identify why something is hurting or bothering us emotionally, then we can work on how to fix it so we don’t experience those triggers again. It takes time and work but it’s worth it. 

   It was months before I could go back to a doctor, and wasn’t until I found a female family doctor that I was able to get medical help again. Although the previous doctor clearly had no interest in the patients he served, I took this to be a positive experience because it taught me about one of my more common triggers. Now, if someone is exhibiting negative energy and I have no physical way of leaving, I can talk my way out of those feelings. 

   I can ask myself in the moment, “Is there a logical threat here?” Once I have identified that there isn’t, I am able to move to some tools to help myself relax. The easiest one is deep breathing. Your deep breaths slow your heart rate and helps to keep you calmer. If I anticipate that I may be entering a situation that might make me feel uneasy, I take a bottle of water to sip on. It’s impossible to pant while you are drinking. Your body can’t do both simultaneously. 

   Of course, this trigger is not as dangerous as some others can be. I would never suggest putting yourself into a situation where you will be triggered, but if you can find a safe space to allow yourself to be triggered it can help. A safe place doesn’t have to be with a paid therapist. As long as you can objectively ask yourself if the person you are with would intentionally hurt you and your honest answer is, ‘No’, then you have found a safe space. 

   Another time I was triggered was during a leadership workshop. The instructor is a very competent, very knowledgeable person. Receiving positive feedback made me feel defensive. Luckily, I knew this was a safe space and that gave me the opportunity to question whether this person would deliberately try to embarrass or harm me in any way. Of course, the instructor wasn’t there for that and was very gentle and kind, so I was able to realize that I wasn’t being picked on or judged harshly as I had my entire life. 

   We have all had traumas of varying degrees in our lives and if we are to live in society  and function in careers, or activities with other people, then we will be triggered. We will have to get control over our triggers. I believe going through these experiences and talking to myself, over time I will become desensitized to the situations that may cause these reactions. Won’t that feel nice to have controls over these feelings instead of these feelings taking control over my body and actions?