Information about triggers

When posting about specific memories, it's a good idea to add the word "Trigger" in the subject area. This will give the person who suffers from PTSD an opportunity to avoid reading the post.

Here is some more information about triggers;

According to the American Psychiatric Association people suffering from this disorder have repeated episodes in which they re-experience the traumatic event. This can be triggered in sudden, vivid memories that are accompanied by very painful emotions and take over the victims attention. The memory can be a flashback - a recollection that is so strong that the individual thinks he/she is actually experiencing the traumatic event again or seeing it unfold before their eyes. In the book PTSD-A Complete Treatment Guide by Aphrodite Matsakis, Ph.D., she talks about the trigger response on page 140 of this book, ” As explained in Chap. 3, PTSD is not only a psychological phenomenon but a biochemical one. The human brain remembers everything; its memory cells store information about every event that occurs to a person, especially unusual events such as traumas,” further on she says, ” Perhaps one of the worst parts of being a trauma survivor occurs when the adrenals are aroused by an event in the present that reminds the survivor of a past event. Long-term memory tracts, in which memories of the traumatic event and secondary wounding experiences are stored, tend to be activated, and the survivor then experiences feelings associated with the past event. These present-day events are often called triggers, because they trigger the emotions associated with the trauma.”

[Ann]

Hi MG

I am bringing this one back up. I read almost everything you post on this board, and don't always reply because often your post speaks for itself and offers valuable information that I print out and accept but don't feel a need to respond to at that particular time.

Well, I have noticed lately that I am "triggered" when I least expect it. My recovery is going well and my son, who is a recovering crack addict, is doing well in his own recovery. Without becoming complacent, this is a time when I can relax and think more clearly about recovery and my life. Yet, out of the blue, I will see a person, or drive by a place, or even hear mention of a particular area that was associated with my son's addiction and react with a huge adrenaline surge and almost have a panic attack.

In the worst time with my codependency, I have been to many terrible neighbourhoods, have been by the crack houses, even went up to the door and threatened to kick it in if they didn't get my son and send him out (you gotta know that this kind of action is totally out of character for me - I am a middleage "lady" with nice manners and no self-defence training) and I placed myself in a lot of scary situations.

I remember them clearly, I have thought about them and how stupid and dangerous they were, and have been grateful that those experiences are over, so "flashback" wouldn't describe them.

But once in a while, something triggers the bad memory again, and I react physically. I have learned to not leave myself in the "trigger" situation for long, but wonder why this still happens. It is as if my body knows before my mind.

And what do you do with a "trigger"?

Ann,

Whenever we are faced with a threatening situation we have a fight or flight response. It sounds like you had a fight resoponse with your son's situation. If there was someone else to handle your son's situation at the time, then you probably would have run. Instead you put yourself in a danagerous situation.

Usually after we have our fight response and the threat of danger is over, we then get shaky and feel the fear of what just happened.

I think our normal state of mind is flight. We run from danger. We lock our doors at night to keep ourselves safe. We avoid danger.

Right now in your life you are in your natural flight state. When you are triggered you think of the situation from a flight perspective which is fear and panic. These are feeling memories. I'd imagine you have a delayed reaction because you have kept yourself in fight mode until recently.

Don't fight the fear that you feel. Don't be afraid of the fear that you feel. Panic is the 2nd fear. It's when you are afraid of the 1st fear that you feel.

Accept the feelings and start talking yourself out of the fear. Tell yourself there is no danger and that you are safe now. Hold a big pillow to help you feel that you have boundaries. Breathe deeply and slowly. Keep telling yourself that you are ok and the feelings won't harm you. The feelings are temporary and they will go away soon. Change your focus and think about "today"

The feelings you are feeling are a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.

Hugs Ann,

MG

Reassurances:

You are in complete control. No harm will come to you at all. You are not in any danger.

The feelings of comfort will come. The feelings of discomfort will end!

You have absolutely nothing to fear. These are just harmless feelings and harmless thoughts.

It’s a bluff and a liar. You may think this is different from other panic attacks, but it is not. It’s the same old anxiety and it is benign.

Trust these stated facts. Do not trust your feelings.

Feelings come and go. You will calm down.

Coping Skills:

Slow Down! Force yourself to breathe slowly and deeply.

Repeatedly stop any negative thought, image or memory.

Be patient and let time pass. Peace and comfort lie on the other side of anxiety.

Accept the feelings, don’t fight them. Let go and don’t add 2nd fear.

Focus your attention externally. Tune out your body.

Do some thought restructuring. How likely are the feared events going to occur? How well can you cope even if they do?

Positive Affirmations:

I am healthy and very mentally sound. I am competent, and I am safe.

I am intelligent, experienced and knowledgeable.

These feelings have passed many many times before, and of course they will pass again.

I am confident, I am assured, I am loving and lovable. I get to be happy and can handle things as they arise.

[Ann]

Thanks MG - that is great information and I have printed it out to keep in my purse and on my mirror so that whereever I am I can read it.

I think that for so long, in my recovery, I have worked hard a making conscious changes in my actions and my conscious thoughts. And that has served me well and helped me get to the good place I am right now.

But unconscious thoughts, or triggers that just jump up and happen with no warning, cause panic and anxiety as an instinctive reaction, something I really have no control over yet.

I am going to give a lot of thought to what triggers me, and think through the past situation and try to come to peace with it for once and for all. I will have to do this slowly and probably give myself a short time frame for each one, with backup good stuff to do right after, so I don't make myself crazy.

And I will keep you list for the "surprise attacks".

You know, just when I think I have everything "under control" , I find that I still have a lot of work to do.

Thanks for being here.

to the top

[historyteach]

This one is worth bringing up again!
I still have occassional triggers. They come so suddenly, and so forcefully! Afterwards, when the rush is over, and I come down from that heightened state, I feel tired and sad. Had a very strong one last week. Son didn't have key, and rather than come to the car to get mine, he climbed into a window. Since he tore every screen in the past breaking into my home, to steal things, watching him do that set me off - strong!
This is just so hard! Even when I am doing well, I still find occassions where I know I need so much more work on myself.
Damn this addiction and comcomitant codependency!
But, the suggestions and affirmations are good material to practice. Thank you for that. And thanks for addressing this issue.
Shalom!

[dotcom]

good thread mg,

sometimes i dont know what it is that triggers me. is that normal? sometimes i can pinpoint it, and others i can't. for instance, i wake up in the middle of the night because i think i am in that same experience again. perhaps i was dreaming? then theres a moment when i dont know where i am and sometimes i cry.

but for those moments i have my teddy bear and classical music to help out and reminding myself of where i am (once i realize where i am).

then those moments i know exactly what triggers me, i just buckle my seat belt and try to control myself. a few times i have gotten way out of line with the things i said to people who never hurt me (well, not hurt me in terrible ways). those moments are embarressing at times and i try so hard to just bite my tongue but theres this overwhelming need to defend myself against the "perceived attack". those are mostly emotional outbursts. it takes awhile to convince myself that i really am okay and what im "instigating" is all in my head.

i havent had a real aggressive "outburst" since last fall (well, that was the worst one. there have been anger outbursts but not quite as bad). where i shook and felt like i could rip heads off and swore like a sailor. when that happens it takes me a long time to "shake it off" and i usually get emotionally drained afterward.

i dont think i can control myself when i get that angry. it is split second, as is the emotional ones but the emotional ones have MUCH LESS POTENTIAL for damage to myself and others. i do know what sets me off with the anger though and im working REALLY hard to rewind those feelings and remind myself that i am okay, things are different, etc. i know what sets off the emotional crap but i have much more difficulty convincing myself that i am okay and that things are different.

anywho, thanks for letting me share.

[dotcom]

yeah, i'll print that out too mg!