[Kacey2]

Does anyone else here feel like the word triggered is overused and possibly used out of context?

My T limits its use to my PTSD stuff, where I get real or emotional 'flashbacks.' I try to use it in that way on this board as well. I have seen a lot of people use it to just mean something is really upsetting to them, but I understand what they mean and try to not get bent about it. [I almost said 'triggered by it' to tease with you, but didn't know if you'd think it was funny.]

[BlessedRhiannon]

Overused by T's? Overused by society in general? Overused by folks here on PC?

I dunno - I think words can have different meanings for different people, so it's hard to say if something is being overused or not.

For me and my T, "triggered" means that I'm having a very strong emotional or physical reaction. Typically - for me, that would mean that I'm suddenly feeling panic or an urge to perform an OCD behavior or having a particular set of thoughts. It also means that I can relate these thoughts and behaviors to a specific instance. There are times where the panic is just panic, with no trigger (where the trigger would be a specific event that initiated the panic).

[WikidPissah]

Is it bugging you? I have been trying to use the word distressed instead because the real world doesn't know what the word triggered means. Sometimes our psychobabble sets us apart from the rest of the world, and that's not always a good thing.

That said, I am not going to tell others how to speak.

I think it's better to err on the side of caution.

[2or3things]

I'm with Earthmamma that we should be careful to give warning when we say something that might cause some sort of trauma or difficulty for others.

That said, I do feel like the word gets used here a lot, and to me that empties the word of its meaning. (I sometimes feel like I use excessive trigger warnings because I just have no idea what every person here would find triggering.)

More than that, though, I also think people sometimes have a tendency to use being triggered as an excuse for less-than-healty behavior. I don't mean to say that things don't legitimately trigger people...sometimes that's just how it goes, and we have to learn how to work around it as best we can. What I do mean, however, is that sometimes I think people have a tendency to say "I got triggered" repeatedly about the same sorts of things, even when they're already aware of what triggers them, could have anticipated it, and could have tried to lessen the impact on themselves and others.

I guess, for me, the bottom line is that we can't always control the trigger, and we're likely not responsible for the trauma that turned it into one. But as adults committed to making a better life for ourselves, we have a responsibility to ourselves and the people we want in our lives to work on change. Just saying "I was triggered" doesn't, in and of itself, absolve us of that responsibility, even when it's difficult. If you know better, you should at be trying to do better.

[Perna]

The problem with erring on the side of caution is you get "the boy who cried wolf" so when something is a trigger, others are less sensitive to it; like with violent video games these days; they are rated for "Mature" audiences but the number of young teen boys I know playing them. . .

I think triggering is a private affair; I believe people engage with their triggers or run from them and trying to get others not to, or blaming others for, triggering them is definitely a misuse in my opinion.

There are so many different personalities on here , I would guess almost anything could be a trigger, even if it started off harmless.

Trigger - 3. anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions. ( per dictionary.com)

So Kacey2 - what's got a bee in the ole bonnet? (I too would have said triggered as MKAC said, but I cannot detect your level of irritability with this issue, nor know you well enough to know if you would think it was funny)

Hey, kacey, are you meaning 'overused' in the sense that 2or3things was saying? That people use it as an excuse for their poor behavior and emotional tantrums over things they totally bring on themselves? Not that I am aware of anyone doing that ever. ahem. ahem.

[lostmyway21]

I only use it for PTSD stuff.

For me, when I say I am triggered, I am saying my old PTSD stuff has been set off by something that has happened. I don't say people triggered me because they didn't set out to deliberately set off that reaction. My triggers are completely mine and my responsibility to understand and cope with. I don't call just getting upset or mad about something a "trigger" unless it is really related to that old history and it has set of an "old" response in me.

Originally Posted by Kacey2

Does anyone else here feel like the word triggered is overused and possibly used out of context?

Do you mean here on PC - or in IRL?

I don't dare utter the word IRL because most people just roll their eyes. They don't give a ****.

However, when I am sharing something on PC (esp in the PTSD or Dep or Coping) forums, I use the red icon (or the write the actual word) as a courtesy to others.

I would much prefer to err on the side of caution than to just write out a post SOC / willy-nilly without regard for others feelings.

If the incident I am writing about traumatized me enough to get me here on PC and into T (and almost into the hospital), why wouldn't I be sensitive to others' feelings?

ps, If another member here thinks I am being "dramatic" or doesn't give a ****, I have no doubt they will feel free to tell me how they feel, ignore me or block me.

[AngelWolf3]

I think, at least for myself, I use the word "trigger" if I am referring to something that set off a reaction in me that makes me anxious, scared, etc. (eg, something reminded me of the trauma I have been thru, etc.) But I don't think I have used the word in reference to anyone else's posts.

From PC, I have learned the icon itself is used if the subject matter of the particular thread is potentially upsetting to readers, like graphic or vivid descriptions. I don't know if I have actually started any threads with the trigger icon...I can't remember! But I have never consciously thought of whether or not I use the word "trigger."

I'm just really careful how I word stuff, because everyone is unique and I don't ever want to upset anyone unintentionally.

[Kacey2]

Originally Posted by My kids are cool

My T limits its use to my PTSD stuff, where I get real or emotional 'flashbacks.' I try to use it in that way on this board as well. I have seen a lot of people use it to just mean something is really upsetting to them, but I understand what they mean and try to not get bent about it. [I almost said 'triggered by it' to tease with you, but didn't know if you'd think it was funny.]

Yah I would have LOLed! It is just my soap box today. I guess everyone gets to have one once in a while.

[Kacey2]

[quote=BlessedRhiannon;2536112]Overused by T's? Overused by society in general? Overused by folks here on PC?

I dunno - I think words can have different meanings for different people, so it's hard to say if something is being overused or not.

quote] Yes, I meant on PC.

Originally Posted by WikidPissah

Is it bugging you? I have been trying to use the word distressed instead because the real world doesn't know what the word triggered means. Sometimes our psychobabble sets us apart from the rest of the world, and that's not always a good thing.

That said, I am not going to tell others how to speak.

Yah I understand not telling other people how to speak. It is bugging me because I feel like it is over used to the point that it takes away from when it is a real thing. I like distressed. That is good.

Originally Posted by earthmamma

I think it's better to err on the side of caution.

Oh I didn't mean trigger icons or warnings. I simply mean when people are upset by something or something doesn't go there way they call it a trigger.

Originally Posted by 2or3things

I'm with Earthmamma that we should be careful to give warning when we say something that might cause some sort of trauma or difficulty for others.

That said, I do feel like the word gets used here a lot, and to me that empties the word of its meaning. (I sometimes feel like I use excessive trigger warnings because I just have no idea what every person here would find triggering.)

More than that, though, I also think people sometimes have a tendency to use being triggered as an excuse for less-than-healty behavior. I don't mean to say that things don't legitimately trigger people...sometimes that's just how it goes, and we have to learn how to work around it as best we can. What I do mean, however, is that sometimes I think people have a tendency to say "I got triggered" repeatedly about the same sorts of things, even when they're already aware of what triggers them, could have anticipated it, and could have tried to lessen the impact on themselves and others.

I guess, for me, the bottom line is that we can't always control the trigger, and we're likely not responsible for the trauma that turned it into one. But as adults committed to making a better life for ourselves, we have a responsibility to ourselves and the people we want in our lives to work on change. Just saying "I was triggered" doesn't, in and of itself, absolve us of that responsibility, even when it's difficult. If you know better, you should at be trying to do better.

Yes, Yes, and Yes to all that you said. Thank you for expressing it that way. It is like you read my mind!

[quote=Perna;2536201]The problem with erring on the side of caution is you get "the boy who cried wolf" so when something is a trigger, others are less sensitive to it; like with violent video games these days; they are rated for "Mature" audiences but the number of young teen boys I know playing them. . .
quote]

Yes, I feel like it is used so much that it waters down the meaning if you know what I mean.

Originally Posted by LolaCabanna

Trigger - 3. anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions. ( per dictionary.com)

So Kacey2 - what's got a bee in the ole bonnet? (I too would have said triggered as MKAC said, but I cannot detect your level of irritability with this issue, nor know you well enough to know if you would think it was funny)

I know I looked it up too and I guess it didn't say for a PTSD flashback but that is what I myself think of it as. It doesn't say that in the definition though. Ha ha to the bee in the ole bonnet. I like that one.

Originally Posted by My kids are cool

Hey, kacey, are you meaning 'overused' in the sense that 2or3things was saying? That people use it as an excuse for their poor behavior and emotional tantrums over things they totally bring on themselves? Not that I am aware of anyone doing that ever. ahem. ahem.

YES!!

Originally Posted by lostmyway21

I only use it for PTSD stuff.

Me too.

Originally Posted by farmergirl

For me, when I say I am triggered, I am saying my old PTSD stuff has been set off by something that has happened. I don't say people triggered me because they didn't set out to deliberately set off that reaction. My triggers are completely mine and my responsibility to understand and cope with. I don't call just getting upset or mad about something a "trigger" unless it is really related to that old history and it has set of an "old" response in me.

I think that a lot of times people here on pc are expressing something that upset them or influenced their behavior and they call it a trigger. I think that a trigger is more than that. Just like you said.

Originally Posted by Rose Panachée

Do you mean here on PC - or in IRL?

I don't dare utter the word IRL because most people just roll their eyes. They don't give a ****.

However, when I am sharing something on PC (esp in the PTSD or Dep or Coping) forums, I use the red icon (or the write the actual word) as a courtesy to others.

I would much prefer to err on the side of caution than to just write out a post SOC / willy-nilly without regard for others feelings.

If the incident I am writing about traumatized me enough to get me here on PC and into T (and almost into the hospital), why wouldn't I be sensitive to others' feelings?

ps, If another member here thinks I am being "dramatic" or doesn't give a ****, I have no doubt they will feel free to tell me how they feel, ignore me or block me.

I don't mean on icons or warnings. I meant just saying I was triggered by someone who didn't return my calls etc...

Originally Posted by Wolfin3

I think, at least for myself, I use the word "trigger" if I am referring to something that set off a reaction in me that makes me anxious, scared, etc. (eg, something reminded me of the trauma I have been thru, etc.) But I don't think I have used the word in reference to anyone else's posts.

From PC, I have learned the icon itself is used if the subject matter of the particular thread is potentially upsetting to readers, like graphic or vivid descriptions. I don't know if I have actually started any threads with the trigger icon...I can't remember! But I have never consciously thought of whether or not I use the word "trigger."

I'm just really careful how I word stuff, because everyone is unique and I don't ever want to upset anyone unintentionally.

Thanks for this!

Wow, you guys were pretty spot on with what I was trying to say and just couldn't find a way to put the words on it. So thank you. Yes it is my soap box for the day. I feel as though it is overused in many contexts and it makes is seem watered down and that it takes away from what it really is which is a big deal. If ya know what I mean.........

[Kacey2]

Like for example I was really triggered this past week when I revisisted a state that absolutely horrible things happened to me. I'm talking people went to prison for a long time kind of big thing. I was triggered there. Then my t cancelled my apt for when I got back and was planning on a vacation for the following week. I was maxed out with emotion, in complete distress and when I heard of the cancellation I freaked out! I wasn't triggered by the cancellation, I was just hugely over reacting when I sent off a horrible email to him.

I didn't say that t's cancellation was a trigger. It was an event that sent me into a rage because I was in a very vulnerable place.

may I interject... of course I can , its a thread ... anywho, I don't have PTSD, so I would have never thought that to be the true meaning for anyone else. The various reason we are all here adds to the various meanings behind certain phrases or words. I do however agree being triggered is not an excuse for unbecoming behavior.

[Kacey2]

Originally Posted by LolaCabanna

may I interject... of course I can , its a thread ... anywho, I don't have PTSD, so I would have never thought that to be the true meaning for anyone else. The various reason we are all here adds to the various meanings behind certain phrases or words. I do however agree being triggered is not an excuse for unbecoming behavior.

That is a very good point and what I needed to hear because it is true that within the realm of peoples' experiences the word would have different meanings. Also t's use it differently as well.

Originally Posted by Kacey2

That is a very good point and what I needed to hear because it is true that within the realm of peoples' experiences the word would have different meanings. Also t's use it differently as well.

My first T didn't even know what I was talking about... of course she was clueless on a bunch of stuff, she had the " how to be a crotchety old lady" thing down pretty good though.

I would have said your visit was triggering, as it brought you to a "not so good place".

[KazzaX]

I hate using the word "triggered" for me in particular. It seems ok when other people use it because they have PTSD and stuff, and "triggered" seems appropriate for that. But me , i have never experienced any trauma.... so why is it called "triggered" in relation to me? I always called it "me losing my temper", because it feels more like that than some kinda trigger. I feel like im stealing someone else's word or something.

[autotelica]

I didn't know the concept was a PTSD thing. Based on its widespread usage here, I had just assumed it was more psychobabble that it is not in my repertoire, along the same lines as "transitional object" and "transference".

I don't know if it's overused. To make this judgment, I would have to know the intentions of the people who throw up the "triggered" flag. I do think it makes communication difficult, especially on a board where everyone has different problems and different levels of sensitivities. But then again, every message board has its own culture and potential pitfalls. I post on another message board that is on the opposite end of the sensitivity spectrum, where people are mocked if they take things personally. Sometimes the meanness can go a bit overboard. I think sometimes the niceness here is a little too nice. But you can get used to it if you don't think about it too much.

[trdleblue]

Originally Posted by farmergirl

For me, when I say I am triggered, I am saying my old PTSD stuff has been set off by something that has happened. I don't say people triggered me because they didn't set out to deliberately set off that reaction. My triggers are completely mine and my responsibility to understand and cope with. I don't call just getting upset or mad about something a "trigger" unless it is really related to that old history and it has set of an "old" response in me.

I agree with a lot of this. I can't control other people or what they say. I have to learn to cope with what bothers me. I have a lot of things that bother me, but a few things that trigger me. One of those things is fairly common that people do, and probably not something that someone should be cautious about. I realize that this is my issue, and that I have to learn how to deal with it. It's not always easy, but I try to make sure that I don't act on my feelings about it, or remove myself from people if it's that bad, and I can.

[Chopin99]

I've used the word triggered in therapy to describe "having my buttons pushed". T has used it to mean the same thing. It really doesn't bother me, but it's a word with a lot of synonyms, but also a lot of baggage. It's a loaded term for many people.