names and words as triggers

I am not sure if this is the correct forum for this post but I sometimes feel triggered just by reading certain words or names

This has been so bad at times that I have torn pages out of books and shredded them and done other weird things.

I feel silly posting this and it may appear trivial to some but it causes me much distress.

I do not find that avoiding is the answer or my world would become smaller and smaller


Fuzzy

Hi fuzzy, and everyone.

(By the way fuzzy, I'm not meaning to follow you around today, it's just that you have made some very interesting posts).

Names and triggers -- Aaaargh!

My all time horror name is my father's name 'Bobbie'. I felt it just typing it then - ouch.

Anyway, here is something funny. My daughter's boyfriend (who I like very much) is called - wait for it - Bobbie. I mean what are the chances of that. When she first met him I reminded my daughter of my problem, and asked if I could call him Robbie, so that I didn't have to say the trigger name.

As time has gone by I have become used to hearing this terrible name 'Bobbie' in my life again, but I have never called him that. He is very understanding and I've told him the history. So there we are all sitting around, and I'm calling him Robbie and they are all calling him Bobbie. I mean, it's got to be funny.

There is one further step that would test me to destruction. If I were to hear the words "Good old Bob." That is a sentence that cuts like a knife. My estranged brother is also called "Bob" and "Good old Bob" was part of my father's tormenting ritual, always comparing me to his favourite child before starting the sessions of humiliating me.

Maybe I'll hear "Good old Bob" one day and the power will be gone, who knows.

It's hard to imagine though. Maybe we are entitled to keep some of our triggers. The comedian Billy Connolly, who had this kind of problem with his own father, said "I can forgive, but I can never forget."

This is good thread subject, and very cathartic.

Peaceful (non triggering) thoughts, M

..and fuzzy and myzen......i AM following both of you!....very interesting posts today! thanks!.......lol

I totally understand what you mean Fuzzy. While names don't trigger me, I do have "associations" with certain names due to the kids I have had while teaching. The name just inspires a gut reaction. (((((Fuzzy)))))

I am that way about my abusers name. I can't even write the name, and when I hear it or see it, I get really triggered. It's a really common name too.

I am also triggered by the phrases "so you'll remember me" or "to remember me by". He used to say that to me when he burned me with cigarettes.

There are other things too, but I can't think of them all now.

Fuzzy,

I don't think this is trivial at all--- I'm thankful that you posted it. I'm sorry though, that you have these feelings-- they can be such a challenge.

I am triggered by a person's name too -- one who caused me trauma, as a little girl-- 7 years old. To this day when I hear his name (even his last name- as his brother is in prison for murder- so in my mind, the last name is also one to cause fear) I feel a sense of urgency and panic. It's all internal for me- don't show anything on the outside.

Yeah, I think you're right about one's world becoming smaller and smaller if they avoid--very good point. I strive to keep my world as large as I can!

Also, Myzen-- I'm sorry your dad treated you that way. I have a sister that I couldn't and still can't ever measure up to in my mom's eyes AND my sister's eyes. It's such a bad thing when siblings of the same gender are made to feel greater or less than each other- the later, is bound to have feelings of worthlessness.

mandy

That happens to me. Part of me is nervous about working in pharmacy filling prescriptions again because I have been triggered before by the name of a drug company. Other names and things do it, too. I have to try and remember to mention that to my T.

I get triggered by the name of the person that caused me trauma. Also some words or phrases will trigger me. I hope for the day when I will be able to hear these words and they won't have the same effect on me.

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GEMinMD said:
I am also triggered by the phrases "so you'll remember me" or "to remember me by". He used to say that to me when he burned me with cigarettes.

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Gem,

I felt that very strongly.

Peaceful thoughts to you, M

Hello Fuzzy - I can certainly relate to what your saying also. My very first abuser was a man named "Larry" that names automatically places distrust. Also the old children's ryhme; "It's raining its pouring the old man is ........" I don't really know why that bothers me but it does.....

Chalkdust

(((fuzz)))) and welcome chalkdust. I'm not keen on "it's raining " anymore hehehe since I've had a double event of trauma involving storms. The mere thought or mention of a new tropical system... that surely triggers... hearing a tornado warning scroll across the bottom of the tv... yeah...

Certain words trigger me - specifially, the slang words for sex or the anatomy related to sex. Makes it really interesting to try to communicate with my T when I can't even say which parts were affected.