Triggered

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this?

I took my friend to the emergency room today because she was having troubles breathing (it all ended up OK). But during our wait, I was quite triggered by the whole hospital setting, as I have been to the emergency room several times for feeling suicidal.

Just the setting in general, the nurses and beds and people triggered me...but the worst was when I saw two cops bring in a mentally unstable man. The first thing that happened were some irrational thoughts: "They're here to get me!" "I'm going to relapse!" "What if I need to go back to the hospital?"

For almost two months now I have been out of hospital and basically feeling fine, going to school and living normally. It just scared me to be suddenly flooded with past memories of several hospital stays on the psychiatric floor, and thoughts of relapsing and the worst happening. =/ I guess I'm still scared.

Is this common?

Yes. I went to the ER with an infection after I was in the hospital and it triggered me a lot. Maybe a touch of PTSD from our experiences. Seems normal to happen, though, to me. Hugs.

Sure, lots of "familar environments" can trigger panic of "what if's". I think you will find lots of any psych effected people feel this way. I know I'm probably speaking for more than I should be, but I'm pretty sure a majority of us experience this. Give yourself a "pat on the back" that it's not you and your going to work through the trigger. Be strong! Have a beautifull day :-)

I haven't SHed for months but I still get triggered in those places and situations where I've been suicidal, attempted suicide or SHed. We just have to seriously believe that things have changed.