Can't triggers be useful?

I think that if avoiding triggers has become intrusive on your life, then that's a big problem. Life is too short and hard enough without having to arrange it around fear, or fear of fear.

I was just in a horrible car accident. I never, ever wanted to drive again. But you know what? That's a luxury I can't give myself. I have to drive, or rearrange my entire life. Not gonna happen.

So I drive. It sucks, but i'm getting better. I just take on mile at a time. The more miles I get, the better I get. Also, there is a tremendous sense of accomplishment at "winning".

Flashbacks? Oh yeah, i get them. I enter them and bring myself out.

Again, life is too short to hide.

You gotta live it.

Why yes! It exposes vulnerability and areas to work on

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When I get triggered I have an intense panic attack and hyperventilate. This is when something triggers something really bad. Less bad things that trigger me are scents. These trigger memories of ppl or items good or bad.

Thank you! You are the first person to say that you have good and bad triggers. I don't know why it bothers me that most don't seem to recognize that the word triggers is not just synonymous with bad or PTSD type things. My stuff really...

I think it's over-used as well (I'm including myself here).

A real trigger for me is an intense alcohol smell. Like day old drunk. My primary csa abuser always smelled like this, and when I smell it I literally feel his weight on me and I can't breath. It's a horrid feeling, not an anxiety attack, literally a suffocating feeling, and I am completely incapacitated. I need to avoid this trigger.

A lesser or maybe even fake trigger (I think) is when I get upset at a person when I feel they are picking on someone else. I get Robin Hood-ish swooping in and trying to rescue them from the big bad wolf. (I know, I'm mixing my tales). That's kind of trigger-ish because I do feel compelled to rescue them, but I am not incapacitated the way I was in the first example. I need to work on this and recognize I do it, so it is actually helpful for me to be around it.

For me triggers are all around me the difference is if I am able to work through the negative feelings without getting me down.

Stopdog- my understanding is that triggers are things that in someway bring up negative feelings in relation to past experiences and get you down..

T and I have figured out that one of my triggers is a man with a beard. I never really realized it before. Most of the time I can see men with beards and be fine..if I am in a bad space though it can really get to me and cause an emotional downward spiral. Which would explain why whenever hubby mentions growing a beard I talk him out of it..

If that is it, then trying to avoid them would seem quite a futile endeavor so one might as well learn how to deal with them.

I think it depends on whether a trigger is a conscious or unconscious thing.
If conscious we can than have free choice whether we wish to continue in/with situation.
If unconscious we become trapped in/with situation.

I think so much depends on how you define a trigger. For those of us who use it for those situations that throw us into a full blown, back in a life or death situation, soaked in sweat, heart pounding, fight or die reaction, the 'yeah, just get over it and deal' response seems pretty cold. Obviously we all know avoiding every trigger is a futile endeavor. However, that doesn't mean I want to have a panic attack and be soaked in sweat in the middle of my office or when in court, and so I avoid the cases that would cause me to have that reaction, until such time as I have that reaction under control.

And I still don't understand why it's okay to have the "get over it" attitude with PTSD and not with other diagnoses. I think this is a good and productive discussion, don't get me wrong, and I hope it will lead to more understanding between people. I just don't understand the double standard.

I agree wholeheartedly, and can only imagine what seems to be a double standard is really individuals who aren't using the word in the accurate sense as it pertains to PTSD symptoms, but rather a layperson's definition or a bastardized one.

It really comes down to the dilution of language, at least in part. This thread is partly about defining the word, and personal definitions which don't match the therapeutic ones can obscure the issue for PTSD sufferers.

That's a trend with PTSD anyway, the dilution of the diagnosis and symptoms to extend to a lot of situations that are similar but do not meet the official criteria.

It is interesting that we don't see this phenomenon with diagnoses like Schizophrenia or other disorders so much in my experience.

We can say that a 'trigger' can be anything that evokes a reaction, but really, then, the more accurate word is evokes or maybe reminds, not trigger, which is a physiological process with unpleasant effects. That's how we can talk about the smell of cookies baking "triggering" a warm memory of gramma's house, which is a far cry from me being triggered by an invasive dental procedure reminding me of being orally raped, let me tell you.

The thing is, in the outside world, it's understandable to use terms interchangably and trigger is one of endless number of words with multiple meanings, but PC is a forum devoted to psychological demystification, support, etc. so... I think it warrants us being mindful of the use of specific words in a diagnostic sense, of course, that is only my own two cents.

Hmm it kind of depends, I have PTSD so I have to be careful about allowing myself to be triggered. I realize I cannot avoid every single triggering situation, but it is best if I don't go seek out these situations as it just puts me under more stress and well sometimes things get out of hand if i get triggered making it dangerous for myself and even potentially others.

If I am under a lot of stress I do my best to avoid anything triggering, so I can work on handling the stress and not getting to overwhelmed...when I am a bit more at peace I am better able to handle some triggers but some will set me off pretty bad regardless of how calm i might be in that moment. Sometimes there will be a news story that catches me off guard and can really upset me if it reminds me too much of certain occurrences.

But over-all I don't find that more exposure to triggering situations makes me better able to deal with it....I find it just stresses and overwhelms me further. So yeah I think it is best I avoid known triggers and if I am feeling particularly stressed or emotionally vulnerable then I should likely just take it easy for that day and not go out too much(unless I am sure its somewhere I'll be comfortable) to avoid possible unexpected triggers.

I even feel like if I were to undergo more specific PTSD therapy I'd have to do it in a psych ward setting in case something sets me off and I need to be kept safe, or sedated if need be. I would not feel comfortable confronting it in a typical therapy office setting.

I don't see a double standard (I am not saying there is not one -just I don't see it). I think part of it for me, is not so much telling someone to get over it, but that if one is triggered (and PTSD is the one thing the therapist has said to me as pertaining to me and some of my internal responses) - it is not up to others to make sure the person with PTSD is not triggered. I know some things where my reaction is not going to be pleasant internally for me - I avoid the things I can if I don't want to experience it usually. There are times (work related ) where I have figured out ways to deal with it to at least get me through the situation so that others don't know it is happening and so I can do my job.
I don't know if I am communicating this correctly. I have no problem with the trigger sign being used if it helps. I am uncertain if it this forum that is being talked about or the world in general. Amd it does not appear as though the word is being used consistantly or that there is just one definition being used.

I agree, it's definitely not up to the world or people in it to not trigger me, but like you say, neither do I run headlong into situations that I can guess are likely to trigger me. Avoidance is another symptom of PTSD, so, it's actually part of the disorder to get to the point of dealing with triggers instead of consciously and subconsciously doing absolutely everything we can to avoid them. Working through triggers is not easy, so even though I face mine, it's an ongoing process to defuse some of them. And yes, I am quite sure there are different definitions being used in this thread... I think it makes most sense to use the diagnostic one because it's a psychology oriented forum.

Of course it is not up to others to ensure the person with PTSD does not get triggered, but they also shouldn't do things to trigger them when they know it triggers that individual. And the pull the whole 'well you just need to deal with that' it is good to have mutual respect....for instance I am understanding of the fact people might trigger me on accident and that I can't always blame them however people in my life should also respect that some things are too triggering for me and they shouldn't force it on me or do it. For instance I won't go around school environments because that reminds me of the major trauma that happened so if my mom pressures me to go to some performance my brother has at school or something it bothers me because I have explained its a major trigger so pressuring me to expose myself to that isn't really respecting my boundaries. Also if someone knows they will be making a sudden loud noise and they also know the individual with PTSD sitting right there will likely jump out of their seat in panic...i feel its disrespectful not to either warn them or perhaps do that activity at another time or another place.

I guess for me the mutual respect is understanding why I leave or choose a different path without criticism or mockery or trying to dissuade me from my choice.

So as a simple example:
I hope you all have fun at the ballgame and I will see you after it.
And others say Great see you later.(respect)
versus
Oh Come on - it will be fun - why don't you want to have fun?(not respect)

I do not expect others to tip toe around my sensitivities. The double standard I see is the way the discussion is conducted. It is acceptable and tolerated for one diagnosis to be openly discussed, and people to exhibit the 'just get over it' attitude. No one has a meltdown. There is no name calling or complaints of judgmental-ness. No one gets smacked down for the underlying suggestion that the person being triggered is responsible for their own pain and their reaction and should just control their reaction so no one else has to change the triggering behavior.

As we all hear about over and over on other threads about other diagnoses, it's not that easy to just learn to get used to the thing that is triggering. The fact that the dismissive attitude that almost borders on contempt is acceptable in reference to PTSD, but even the most delicate or neutral of statements about another diagnosis is off limits is very irritating. And I say all of this as someone who totally believes that *I* am responsible for my behaviors. If my reaction when triggered harms another person, it is totally and completely my responsibility to do whatever it takes to change that behavior. When frightened, I used to hit. When someone jumped out of a dark room at me to scare, I actually punched him in the face. Hard. I recognized this was not normal, and hurtful behavior, so I got help and I STOPPED. I cannot control whether someone jumps out at me, but I can control myself. Because that is MY job and no one else's.

The other diagnosis, however, cannot be mentioned without precipitating meltdowns and cries that the people who think the behaviors are problematic are judgmental and unsupportive. THAT is the double standard I see. If I post about punching someone in the face, I fully expect people to say, 'hey, that's an overreaction and you should totally work on controlling that.' I do not expect people to support me in continuing to punch.

I'm sorry. I'm probably sidetracked here. Just frustrated about what I see as a double standard. I understand that others may see it differently.

I think people can be triggered who don't have PTSD - so I don't see it as a diagnosis specific term.
Sorry if I am not getting the situation correctly.

I'd agree, but I think the term means something pretty specific with PTSD... but there are other uses for the word even in psychology for instance people can be triggered into a depressive episode, that happens to me as I have depression as well. But thats not the same thing as having fight or flight being triggered with PTSD.

the thing is triggers could be any host of things not just people.

For instance Mothers Day and the day (as well as a few days before) that my mom died is a huge trigger for me. My hubby and T knows it so they can an extra eye just to be sure that the trigger doesn't spiral my mood out of control.

Sometimes driving by bingo halls are a trigger is that is where my dad spent my entire childhood.

I just want to say that my thoughts when I started this thread had nothing really to do with PTSD (which I'm dxed with). It was not some veiled attempt to minimize anyone's experience with PTSD triggers. I only wanted to have a discussion that hopefully people could relate to the word in a positive sense. Failure duly noted.

I also want to say to those who feel that using the word outside of the realm of PTSD is "bastardizing" it-- the word has been in use in the English language since the 17th century. PTSD has only been in use since 1980.

verb
verb: trigger; 3rd person present: triggers; past tense: triggered; past participle: triggered; gerund or present participle: triggering
1.
cause (an event or situation) to happen or exist.
"an allergy can be triggered by stress or overwork"
synonyms: precipitate, prompt, elicit, trigger off, set off, spark (off), touch off, provoke, stir up; More
cause (a device) to function.
synonyms: activate, set off, set going, trip More
Origin

early 17th cent.: from dialect tricker, from Dutch trekker, from trekken ‘to pull.’

Also:

PTSD History and Overview - PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Well, you've called me out, here I am. No need to say "those" when I was the one who used the term... pretty obvious.

Also, no need to quote the definition as if I thought the word was invented around the diagnosis, I mean, honestly... you do not really think that I had never heard the word before PTSD, do you?

When I referred to bastardization, I referred to it in context, the context of this being the PC forum, the context of mental illness and psychotherapy, and yes, the context of PTSD or other related illnesses, where trigger has a situational definition, which you want to shift to include positives.

Language is fluid, of course. No one word is likely to mean something identical to all who hear it or use it. Nonetheless, consistent use of language in context is what keeps us all relating to each other as clearly as possible. Sure, trigger has had a meaning for centuries, just like words like borderline, bi-polar, etc., but they have specific shared definitions here.

I meant you no disrespect when I discussed my perception that there is a lack of understanding around this word in the forum, and that this discussion too, might be muddying the waters in an unhelpful way, to an extent.

I'm not arguing that you aren't entitled to interpret a word however you see fit, or to advocate for learning from triggers (which I agree is very important). But to the extent that we are, in this context-driven forum, trying to redefine a word and make light of the experience of dealing with triggers in a group that consists of a large number of PTSD sufferers... I'm just ambivalent about it. I certainly appreciate that you were not trying to minimize anyone's experience. I never felt that you were.

P.S. In retrospect, I may have used an inflammatory word "bastardized" by which I only meant.... changed illegitimately, you know, shifted to another similar meaning, like.... calling a "flu" a "cold" because they have similarities. That word might have been taken as an insult, since calling someone a bastard is such an ugly thing to do, but different than the meaning here. So, I did not mean any offense by that word, but I wonder in retrospect if it was taken that way. Not my intention.

I am confused about where in the initial post you implied a positive sense to the word. Seems like you are still talking about the term trigger in the context of mental disorders...and certain things triggering symptoms(symptoms it triggers can vary depending on the disorder). Perhaps more clarification is needed in the initial post.

I didn't get the impression you where trying to minimize peoples experiences with PTSD...my reason for mentioning that was to point out that sometimes exposure to triggers can actually be dangerous depending on the disorder and severity of it. So intentionally exposing ones self to them can be the opposite of therapeutic or useful.

As I said before:
I thought about this because of the skills that I learned at an inpatient program that is specifically for those with trauma issues. There the word was also used to describe reactions that patients had to positive imagery such as safe places.

My intent with the last post was not to be snarky but just a way to explain what I was saying. I don't understand how so many innocent intended posts get turned into something that is perceived as an attack on people with a certain dx. Especially when the OP-- in this case myself-- is suffering with said dx.

I also don't think it is fair to call out someone for simply clicking the "thanks for this" button.

That is quite alright. I didn't really take it as inflammatory. I was just using it as an example.