Understanding Triggers

This is not, despite the title, about guns or a family of a certain ex (or horse, for that matter). Triggers are things that make your system go haywire. They are commonly talked about in relation to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and related conditions. They, in a word, suck.

There are certain things that you expect to be a trigger. If your symptoms are a result of being jumped in an alleyway by a group of people, you can expect dark alleyways and small groups to cause you some problems. Associated triggers might also be dark streets. It grows from there, often logically. One of the first things you learn in dealing with trauma is what your triggers are and how to either avoid them (if they are easily avoidable) or cope with them (if they are not).

Then there are the triggers you never expect. People or situations that seem in no way related to your trauma, but still cause the same reactions. These are the triggers that you have to learn to prepare for if you're going to have any sort of long term recovery. And these are a bitch. They sneak up from nowhere, often disguised innocently enough. Often, they are not what they seem and can take some working to find out what is actually the problem. It's not fun, in fact it can be incredibly painful, but it's necessary in order to move past it.

It's different for every person. For some people, the triggers are closely related to the trauma, but may be extreme. For example, a rape victim might not be able to read about fictional rape without it causing flashbacks. For others, situations that remind the person of the feel of the trauma can be triggers, even if the situation is not similar. If the sufferer struggles with the loss of control from their trauma, any situation in which they feel they have no control can be a trigger, though they might be able to read about their trauma with no effect.

One of the first things that must be understood about PTSD is that it can't be cured. The goal for anyone who has it is to learn how they respond, learn what are appropriate responses, and then be able to move through life with that information. To learn how to recognize when a situation is a trigger, even if it's entirely new, and how to get through or get out of that situation so that it doesn't cause the flashbacks, panic attacks, or violent reactions that can result. The goal is to manage the PTSD so that it doesn't control your life. That means learning to manage your triggers, and hoping the people in your life are understanding.