Breaking Free: Understanding Trauma Triggers & How to Cope

Picture This: You are walking in the mall, enjoying your day of window shopping. Suddenly you hear a bit of a song that is being played through the speakers – the same song that you had on loop during a particularly rough time in your life. Out of nowhere, you start to sweat, your chest feels tight, and your mind is back in that timeline, despite all the progress you have made since.

You don’t feel like shopping anymore; you are just trying to get through these moments. You think to yourself – really? A song is doing this to me. But that is how triggers work. They hit you when you are least expecting it. They sneak up on you, leaving you with a tidal wave of emotions that you had thought you had left behind.

Recognising your triggers is the first step on dealing with them. Triggers are your bodies way of saying to you: hey, you still need to deal with this! The moment you identify what has set you off, you can reclaim a bit of control. Just because you understand your triggers, this doesn’t mean that they will disappear overnight, but it gives you a chance to work on them when you are ready.

The goal of this blog is simple but important: to help you understand your triggers and give you some techniques to deal with them. By understanding what triggers are, why they happen, and how to control them, you will be able to navigate those challenging times with more confidence and understanding. We might not be able to avoid our triggers, but we can learn to face them and move forward in a way that is comfortable for you.

What are Trauma Triggers?

A trauma trigger can be anything, it may be a sound, a smell, a sight, or a memory and it reminds you of a past traumatic experience and brings with it the associated intense emotions which are connected to it.  Triggers are not random, they are your brains’ way of trying to protect you by sounding an alarm, even if the danger isn’t real anymore.

• How does trauma trigger your brain?

  • The Amygdala – The Alarm Bell

    This part of your brain is responsible for detecting threats.  After a traumatic experience occurs, the amygdala becomes extra sensitive to potential threats.  When something reminds it of the trauma, it sounds the alarm, which sends out stress signals to the body.

  • The Hippocampus – the brain’s librarian

    This part of your brain files memory with a clear understanding.  Trauma can shrink this area of your brain, which leads to disjointed memories.

  • The Prefrontal Cortex – the decision maker

    This is the part of your brain that oversees rational thinking and decision making.  During a triggered response, it essentially “goes offline” which is why you may struggle to think clearly or regulate your emotions during that time.

• How Do Triggers Show Up?

  • Emotional Reactions: Sudden sadness, anger or panic without a clear cause.

  • Physical Symptoms: Tight chest, increased heart rate sweating, nausea, frozen with fear, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, feeling hot or flushing, you may flinch or jump at sudden noices.

  • Behavioural changes:  may avoid certain people or situations linked to the trauma.

• How to Heal from Trauma:

  Healing from trauma is a journey. It is different for everyone, but there are some things that can help:

  ·  Recognise the Impact – trauma can change how you view yourself, other people and the world. 

  ·  Acknowledge the impact that the trauma has had on your life.

  ·  Awareness is the first step towards healing.

• Prioritise safety:

  ·  Surround yourself with people that support you.

  ·  Create an environment where you feel safe.

• Get Help:

  · Seek out a trauma therapist. They can help guide and support you through your healing.

• Build self-compassion:

  · Stop blaming yourself, what happened to you is not your fault!

  · Have self-compassion, even when you feel your lowest, love yourself even more. 

  · Healing looks different to everyone.

• regulate your nervous system:

  · Trauma puts your body into fight, flight or freeze mode.  Deep breathing and mindfulness can help to reset your system.Item description

The most important thing to remember when healing from trauma is to be kind to yourself.  You are important. Remember that.