[sittingatwatersedge]

Trigger: something IRL that sets you off, all out of proportion to what actually happened.

I gather that the idea is to search back into the past to find where you experienced that feeling before, so you can trace it forward to its today-effects.

It seems that until that work is done, the trigger will not lose its power. But what if you can't find the memory of the event that caused similar feelings? How do you go about looking for it? I have one subject that's powerful enough to put me in tears at once, and I have no idea what it goes back to, have had no success in trying to trace it back.

[dinosaurs]

i have very very few memories and have found it better to work at understanding what beliefs are triggered by the event, then working on correcting the beliefs. eg if someone ignores me and triggers great distress, i don't necessarily need to find instances in past where i was ignored, but rather understand that when i feel ignored i believe this means i am worthless or don't exist. so then i can work on correcting that belief (eg learning that i have worth regardless of how others treat me).

Just keep talking and talking about the event in the here and now that effects you, then one day an aha moment will entail.

[porcupine2]

Sometimes I think it is for our own self-survival that we don't remember all the traumatic events in our lives. If there is something that is not rearing its ugly head yet then I think it's not time to explore it yet. "A time for every purpose under heaven" so to speak.

[Ygrec23]

There are plenty of traumatic events that occurred back before memory even began. And in that case I'm told that one DOES have to rappel back down the "feeling" trace in the dark and feel out what "feeling" memory is back at the bottom of the cave. And this DOES seem to work. But it requires GREAT sensitivity, like a professional safecracker "feeling" out the combination of a safe after sensitizing his fingertips by rubbing them on sandpaper. Then you know you've got it right because if you do then the "present day" feeling (anxiety or whatever) will diminish or entirely be extinguished.

And even beforehand, if you think about it there aren't an infinity of possible bad emotions down there. Working with T I think everyone can come up with a catalog of what could possibly be down there and what to rule out, at least after you've fully understood the situation in which you existed way back then. I found I could rule out physical or sexual abuse, and very much had to "rule in" emotional abuse. And I even knew what kind of emotional abuse. And all of such discoveries cut down on the different kinds of feelings you'll find down there at the bottom of the well. Take care!

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by sittingatwatersedge

It seems that until that work is done, the trigger will not lose its power. But what if you can't find the memory of the event that caused similar feelings?

There are other approaches too, so you don't need to be stuck if you can't find the original memory. For example, exposure therapy is one approach that doesn't rely on finding the memory. You expose yourself multiple times to the trigger until it loses its power to provoke a response in you. There are different types of exposure therapy, some gentler and more gradual than others. Often, the T will do the exposure with you so you are not alone.

[skeksi]

Originally Posted by sittingatwatersedge

I gather that the idea is to search back into the past to find where you experienced that feeling before, so you can trace it forward to its today-effects.

It seems that until that work is done, the trigger will not lose its power.

In my work with my T, I've come to a slightly different conclusion. I learned to recognize when things are triggers and I'm learning ways to get through the strong feelings. I don't always know why something is a trigger, and I don't think I can stop most triggers from being hard for me. But I can ride them out better.

I guess I kind of see my triggers as a roller coaster. Before therapy, the roller coaster was all in the dark and I never knew what was going to happen next, so it was extra terrifying. Now, I can see where I'm going. It's still scares me every single time, but I can predict what the next drop will be and I know that eventually the ride stops and I can feel safe again.

[madisgram]

SATWE, i found journaling my thoughts, after i was triggered, helped me to understand the underlying feeling. then one can hopefully take themselves far enough back to know the underlying event in the past.
it may take time but i found it helped me a lot. i'd underline how the trigger made me feel, ex. less than, angry. then slowly reflected back in my life. i could learn to identify the person that made me feel this way now.
talk therapy is a very effective tool too. and your journal book can be used.