Triggers and Stressors

I have had so many triggers and stressors all around me. I have felt so angry and upset and constantly on the edge of crying, and I finally say down and wrote out the major things going on in my life. I came up with 16 stressors, many of which also trigger my trauma. No wonder I'm so freaked out and on edge right now

And with my T appointments being two days off, it's so much harder. I was able to text back and forth with my T a little bit today and she pointed out that part of what is making this switch so hard is that my brain is conditioned to talk about what is bothering me on Mondays. When I can't do that, I get stressed out and anxious because I feel like I am "bottling" it up. Ugh. This is ridiculous.

I don't know if this helps, but CBT T did show me that writing down stressful things is a good start. However, he has me pick 2 categories each week to work on. Even if they are small steps. Then, write down each week what steps you took towards alleviating certain stressors.

This sounds really simplistic, I know, but it does help to have it in writing all that you have been working towards. It does help make the big stressors more manageable.

I don't have a lot of control over most of my stressors currently, unfortunately.

(((HazelGirl))) - hang in there, it's almost Wednesday!

Even if you don't have control over your stressors, does it help at all to write them down? I'd think that maybe getting them on paper and organized would help feel somewhat more in control - like, at least you've identified what's going on, so you can maybe plan for them a bit better (rather than walking around being surprised by triggers)? Maybe?

Sorry it's rough right now... I hope you can get used to the new day soon, so it starts feeling more normal and not so long before you see T...

Hmm. I don't really understand what she meant about your brain conditioning you. But your feelings are valid whatever day you experience them on. I hope you have some distractions but imma write you out some anyway:

Bath
Sleep
Make pancakes (?)
Write a story/journal
Ring a friend
List everything stressing you out in order on paper

This one is a little strange, but it REALLY helped me when dealing with triggers and stressors. Basically, set up your phone camera or something to film you, and just sit there and talk. Talk about every single thing bothering you. You could even pretend you're making a YT video.
After I've done this, it feels a tiny bit like a therapy session. I feel so much lighter and easier and more able to cope with the things around me.
Really recommend this one as a short term fix.

It did help a little to write them down. It doesn't make them go away, but at least they're named and pointed out.

Brain conditioning was my restatement of what she said. Sorry. Basically, that I am used to being able to unload on Mondays, and when I can't, it gets stressful for me to keep it in until Wednesdays. I have been trying not to cry all day simply because I have so many different emotions going on right now.

That video camera idea is interesting. I wonder if it would work for me. I'm so self-conscious about how I sound on recordings, though.

I was sorta in the same situation recently and also wasn't sure what to do. I focused mainly on the current situation as a problem instead of letting myself fall into the past. I don't know how I did it, and it wasn't totally successful in the sense that though intrusive thoughts didn't really happen, constant hyperarousal did. In fact, it was so strong that I wasn't able to sleep and now am sick. It just wrecked me.

One thing that did happen is that I contacted someone who was supportive and also had concrete advice about how to deal with the situation. So even though I really didn't want to and thought nothing could be done, I started following some of her suggestions and managed to get some things rolling, which made me feel like it wasn't a disaster though it isn't really over, but my hyperarousal stopped.

I think it was both the reaching out and the taking some steps that worked. Not sure if that even applies to your situation. It is true though that our attachment system goes into effect faster than our fight/flight stress response so contact is important.

In the past when highly triggered, I went through each year of my life and noted events. I pretended to put the sheet in a safe, not to erase it or get rid of it, but to remove it for the time being and know that I could go back to it at any time. That helped.

These things are also about feeling you have some agency, which trauma really affects.

What if every week (for a while) you wrote stuff down on Mondays?

Your schedule for the time being would be: Mondays: write. Wednesdays: see T.

Tomorrow is WEDNESDAY yay our therapy day!!!! My app is usually at 11am but tomorrow it will be at 3 uggh . I have had alot of triggers which I wrote down.

I do hope you will be discussing yours with your t. I will mention mine but I don't want to get into it, to have to wait two more weeks to see her.

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