Simply put, a trigger is a reminder of a previous experience that can bring on the same positive or negative response. Triggers come in various forms: sights, sounds, smells, touch, bodily sensations, and thoughts. It’s easier to understand how triggers operate if we think of our brain as an elaborate computer system. This system includes memories that reside in long-term storage. A trigger is the key that unlocks a particular memory.
Think about a time when you encountered a stimulus (physical sensation, sight, sound, or smell) that was a powerful reminder of something from your past- your grandfather’s cologne, a favorite meal from childhood, a song you danced to on an important day, or the sight of a place you used to live. These types of sensory experiences can evoke powerful memories. Most of the reminders may be neutral or even pleasant. However, when you are confronted with something that is associated with a painful or terrifying situation, those triggers can elicit physical or emotional reactions that are extremely uncomfortable. This may cause you to respond as if you are back in the original event.
This explains why triggers pose a particular challenge for trauma survivors. Sights, sounds, smells, and physical sensations associated with a traumatic experience can unlock powerful emotions associated with that experience. Some triggers, such as anniversary dates, can bring with them terrible thoughts and feelings that survivors come to anticipate as the date creeps ever closer. Other triggers can arise unexpectedly, accompanied by a flood of unwanted reactions. Sudden exposure to a trauma reminder can leave a survivor feeling terrified, angry, or overcome by painful memories. This type of intense discomfort can create a reluctance to approach situations outside of a safe comfort zone.
Intuitively, it may seem like a good idea to avoid situations that are potentially triggering. In the short run, escaping the intense discomfort accompanied by trauma reminders can bring fast relief. However, avoiding the feared stimuli can quickly become a problem because it often results in adopting extreme safety and avoidance behaviors that can dramatically interfere with your quality of life.
Fear reactions, including the ones related to trauma triggers, are our brain’s attempts to keep us safe. Our ability to recognize danger and to stay away from the things that might hurt us has significantly contributed to the survival of the human species.However, these normal and healthy physiological responses can be damaged by the extreme levels of stress that accompany trauma. In an effort to keep us safe, our brain makes associations with danger that may or may not be helpful in avoiding harm in the future. Obviously, avoiding danger is a good thing. But when we respond to neutral or safe stimuli as if they are dangerous, engaging in activities that we want or need to do becomes difficult.
The good news is that it is possible to reprogram your brain to cope with the things that trigger you in safe, non-dangerous situations. Unfortunately, this requires some discomfort. By facing feared situations that cause moderate levels of anxiety, your brain learns new responses over time. This process is called exposure and involves entering into feared but safe situations. While the concept of exposure is straightforward, trauma-based fear responses are powerful, so consulting with a behavioral therapist familiar with exposure can help you use these strategies to successfully conquer your fears.
For a personal account of triggering while traveling visit my co-author, Karie A. Kermath’s, blog.