[CANDC]

With all the care people take at PC not to say things to trigger emotions in others, I was quite shocked to hear that college professors are actually taking care to alert students to emotional triggers in the class or book content when presenting the syllabus.
See whole article here
Grappling With Trigger Warnings And Trauma On Campus : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR

Do other people see new sensitivity to triggers in their work place or every day life?

How do people feel about the raw emotions of some television shows? I have to turn some of them off because they get inside my head.

I would be interested to hear about how other people are coping with all the emotional overloads all around us.

[Travelinglady]

I am glad to hear that college students are being warned by professors.

I try to be my own parent and screen what I watch, hear, etc. I even left the table recently when two people I was with got into an argument. And I avoid watching much news, shows that are too violent, etc.

[CANDC]

Travelinglady it is wise to be careful - they have done studies that find that excessive watching of news can create a condition similar to PTSD where you begin to experience those things as if you really are there. That certainly is not what people who are facing challenges already should over expose themselves to.

[winterglen]

Originally Posted by CANDC

With all the care people take at PC not to say things to trigger emotions in others, I was quite shocked to hear that college professors are actually taking care to alert students to emotional triggers in the class or book content when presenting the syllabus.
See whole article here
Grappling With Trigger Warnings And Trauma On Campus : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR

Do other people see new sensitivity to triggers in their work place or every day life?

How do people feel about the raw emotions of some television shows? I have to turn some of them off because they get inside my head.

I would be interested to hear about how other people are coping with all the emotional overloads all around us.

I'm taking a class on young adult books. I've suffered from an eating disorder the past few years, and I know the topic of eating disorders or body image is going to be a topic.

All other topics -- violence, sex, drugs, religion -- no problems with them at all, but reading about other people's eating disorders just makes me want to get worse at mine, so I can "prove" that I can be as disciplined and worthy as the girl (usually) in the book, and it angers me that I'll never be good enough. So for my peace of mind, I have to do a lot of self-censoring. I hate that I do it, but I know my limitations.

I figure I'm just going to skip class the day they discuss body image, and hope I don't get stuck in the group that has to present that day. If I end up there by default, I'll just have to beg to switch to another group, because I cannot handle it. (But thank god that it's concentrated on one day.)

[Perna]

I have noticed quite a few shows I watch on TV warn after coming back from each commercial break about scenes being disturbing, etc.

I don't know how I feel about the warning. In many instances one generally has an idea before reading or watching something by its description that it might contain difficult material for them. Because "triggers" are wholly individual, what triggers you might not me and vice versa, I think it is up to the reader/watcher to acquaint themselves with what the material is about, how it is presented and decide what they want to do about it for themselves. I get triggered by normal, drama shows but I still watch them, turning away or changing the channel or getting up and leaving, etc. when I get too uncomfortable.

It is not the show's fault in that case, they are often just showing an argument or embarrassment or something I would like to better deal with in my own life but don't practice working with enough to do so. I still remember how proud I was in Good Will Hunting when I "stayed" for the entire scene near the end when he told Minnie Driver he did not love her after she had been brave and shared how scared she was and that she loved him. I want to be like that when I grow up.

[Miswimmy1]

Originally Posted by CANDC

Do other people see new sensitivity to triggers in their work place or every day life?

This is really interesting. I took a class at my high school last year that was about becoming an adult. We did a whole unit on what healthy friendships look like. I was struggling at the time following an abrupt termination with my therapist that was not my choice. I felt very close to her but we had been forced to terminate due a residential program's accusation that our relationship being more of a friendship than a therapeutic relationship. All the talk about healthy friendships really hit a nerve with me and I found the class super triggering. My teacher asked me how the class was going just out of curiosity and I told her that I was being triggered. We had a long conversation about what was triggering me and she thanked me for telling her. From then on, made sure to warn me before the class covered anything that might be anxiety-provoking or triggering.

I think its great that teachers are being so accommodating and being sensitive to peoples' needs.

[CANDC]

Miswimmy sorry to hear about the break with your therapist.
Glad your teacher is open to sensitivity to triggers and telling people ahead of time.
I feel sad when I hear about a friendship like that one you had that life somehow short circuits. The thing that comforts me is Rumi's saying (13th century poet of the heart) that goes something like this:
Every pain and trouble we encounter only helps to break open the heart and let the love inside flow forth, maybe with tears of compassion.
Hope you find a path through the pain.