RaidioFlyer,

It's kind of you to want to help your friend. To answer your question, I think, The body can react in many different ways, it's called a psychosomatic reaction. Some people present with allergies (a histamine reaction) and then one day, after the trigger is gone, they're not allergic anymore. Just as the fight and flight response work, so does psychosomatic reactions when it comes to triggers. The body tries to defend itself. The mind says something is wrong and the body reacts according to the mind. Very interesting stuff actually. It all works with neuronets and how those connections were formed when a given memory is created. The great thing is, new neuronets can be formed and reformed with a change in association. It's really cool stuff.

As for helping your friend, what works for me, and everyone is different, my T see's that I'm not hearing him - he's learned to identify "the look" and you will too with practice - and he gently calls my name until I respond or look at him. That's just me. Then he repeats what he is saying like nothing happened. Sometimes, he asks where I was "just now" so we can explore the trigger. That is also an option - not to give her therapy but recognize the trigger so it can be avoided or whatever.

Hope this helps. Again, this is what my experience is. Not everyone is the same.
Songbird