Recognizing Triggers

Being triggered isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  All a trigger is, is an event or situation that creates some sort of emotional response.  The emotional response can be a positive or negative experience for the individual depending on the particular trigger.  

For example, a positive trigger for me is seeing my niece.  When I get to visit with her I am filled with joy, energy, and on my good days feel like I get to experience life from the perspective of childlike wonder, the way she views the world.

An example of a negative trigger for me would be hearing people yelling and slamming doors because it takes me back to the time in my life when my parents were fighting was a constant in my home.  

Being able to recognize what triggers different emotional responses can help improve how we cope with the triggers and eventually help us either desensitize ourselves to certain triggers or help us know what kinds of events and situations to avoid so that we are not triggered back into a trauma response.  

I have adapted worksheet five from “The Living Legacy of Trauma” workbook to help look at and evaluate triggers in your life.  Over the next few days document any triggers you have using the chart provided or in a notebook if that is easier.  

Do you have anything that you already recognize to be a trigger? How do you cope with the trigger?