Well it sounds like you did the right thing for you at this time!

I am still very cautious about putting myself into situations I'm unsure of... and go out of my way to make accommodations (like refuse to have to sit up front, even if I make a small commotion obtaining a chair for the back.)

I'm still pretty sheltered in my activities, unfortunately. I admire you for pressing forward in this area.

Breathing helps me immensely. Also, giving myself those positive -rational- statements that I learned with CBT. (This isn't the end of the world, it isn't happening now, this is here and now not then, PTSD is an anxiety disorder and this is to be expected from time to time.) Those all help me not to catastrophize the situation, making it feel even worse. Allowing myself to be caught off guard if it happens, and not beating myself up for "knowing better" etc are more coping skills I have now.

Yes, that's a trigger.
When I was first injured I couldn't even recognize when I was triggered. Then I could, then I began to identify the triggers, and then I began learning how to avoid or prevent triggers ... what a process. But as I said, I am not back out there socially like I was before the injury. It's time; been too many years.

TC