How to Deal with A PTSD Trigger
Master How to Deal with a PTSD Trigger and Reclaim Your Peace with Purpose Healing
Identifying & Coping With PTSD Triggers as a Trauma Survivor
Knowing how to deal with a PTSD trigger is an important part of successfully coping with life in the real world. Things that can trigger PTSD symptoms are everywhere, and the skill of identifying and coping with those triggers is a huge part of the recovery process.
This page will offer some basic advice on how to manage triggers effectively. Of course, this is a serious mental health condition, so working with a professional who can treat PTSD is essential.
Keep reading to learn more about coping effectively with PTSD triggers, and remember, you can reach out to Purpose Healing Center at any time to talk to an admissions coordinator about the services we provide. The traumatic event in your past doesn’t have to define you moving forward.
What Are PTSD Triggers?
PTSD triggers can be anything that brings an individual back to a traumatic event and causes an emotional or physical reaction.
Nearly anything can serve as a potential trigger, as it all depends on the specifics of the past trauma and how it might be connected to everyday experiences in the mind of the individual.
The particularly difficult thing about triggers is that they can appear suddenly and without warning. When confronted with a trigger and the symptoms that it causes, an individual can feel like they have been thrown right back into the trauma all over again.
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Identifying the 5 Most Common PTSD Triggers
It’s important to understand the individual nature of PTSD triggers. What is a mundane, uneventful experience for one person could easily be a dramatic trigger for another. The body’s stress response varies wildly depending on an individual’s history and countless variables.
With that said, some triggers tend to impact a large number of people, including those listed below.
Arguments or Raised Voices
Conflict is another common PTSD trigger. This is particularly true for those who dealt with trauma in the household as a child.
Arguing, even between strangers, may be associated with fear or anger, as it can be a reminder of the damage that past relationships have done. When trying to reduce stress and feel calm, staying away from conflict whenever possible can be helpful.
Anniversaries of the Traumatic Event
Specific dates that are tied to a traumatic event can be hard to deal with for someone with PTSD. For example, a military veteran who experienced an attack in battle might have difficulty when the date of that attack comes around again.
Or, for someone with childhood trauma to process, simply the arrival of their birthday may bring back a flood of negative thoughts and emotions.
Sensory Reminders
Physical sensations are powerful when it comes to PTSD. It’s well-known that fireworks can be a difficult trigger for military veterans who have experienced explosions that injured them or killed their fellow soldiers.
If a sensory experience is tied to developing PTSD in the first place, it can easily trigger symptoms like negative thought patterns and more. And, these sensory experiences may also push someone to substance abuse or other unhealthy forms of coping.
Media Exposure
Even an activity as relaxing as watching TV may prove to be harmful. Something could come on television – even in a commercial – that brings up symptoms of PTSD and makes it hard for the individual to stay in the present moment.
It’s helpful to strategically pick things to watch that will hopefully stay away from triggers, but that doesn’t always work.
Crowded Spaces
If PTSD is associated with feeling trapped and stuck as a result of trauma, crowded spaces can be a problem. Some people experience symptoms in crowded spaces that they wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.
These can be things like a racing heart or a sudden sense of distress that makes the individual feel like they don’t control their own body.
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Identifying Your Personal Triggers for Trauma
It’s one thing to know what some of the common triggers of PTSD symptoms look like, but it’s another thing to gain an understanding of your personal situation. Your set of triggers is going to be unique to you, and some of the points listed in the section above might not bother you at all.
One of the best ways to learn your triggers is to keep a journal. After experiencing something that triggers you, and after using some relaxation techniques to calm the stress, you can write down the whole situation and how it played out. This can be therapeutic, and over time, it will help you understand what triggers you and what doesn’t seem to matter.
Armed with that information, you’ll be able to both work on avoiding triggering situations and reducing how much impact those triggers have on you when they occur.
What are Healthy Coping Strategies for PTSD Triggers?
As you continue to learn more and more about your triggers, the next step is to find a way to respond when they happen. After all, real life is messy, and you are sure to encounter some triggers as you move through day-to-day life. Here are a few ideas that can be explored.
Grounding Techniques
It’s easy to get swept away by the memory of a traumatic event when a trigger pops up. So, grounding exercises can bring you back to the present moment and help you stop your brain from running away.
As a way of grounding, try to name five things you can see in your physical surroundings when a trigger takes place. Also, name other items that you can touch, hear, or smell. With practice, you’ll find what grounding techniques work for you to provide internal emotional support in getting through a tough moment.
Positive Self-Talk to Combat Intrusive Thoughts
You might need to talk yourself through a triggering situation. Remind yourself that you are not actually experiencing the event again – this is just a memory. You can change your negative thoughts and internal dialogue into something positive just with the right talk.
Breathing Exercises and Box Breathing
The natural response of the body in a stressful situation is to breathe quickly. These uncomfortable internal feelings will only be amplified when your breathing speeds up and becomes shallow. Turn that around by using a breathing exercise to slow things down.
Breathe in deeply for four counts, hold your breath for four, and then breathe out for four more. This simple technique can work wonders for settling down your nervous system.
Healthy Distractions
Positive activities go a long way toward crowding out your triggers. If you are having difficulty concentrating on anything but your trauma, try exploring new hobbies or activities that will demand your attention.
Then, when you feel stressed, you can turn to that new activity for a distraction and some relief. This is a great form of self-care and can go a long way toward turning down the anxiety that comes with PTSD.
Long-Term Healing Strategies
There is a whole life ahead of you, and having some strategies and techniques in place will help you make the most of it. These approaches are just a few of the ways you can successfully manage PTSD and live a great life.
Trauma-Focused Therapy
Professional therapy is where it should all start. With so many great techniques available, including EMDR and CPT, you’ll be able to gradually make progress on this issue with the help of a licensed professional.
There is no shame or admission of defeat when you reach out for help. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. You are taking control over the situation and using the tools available to you to overcome and thrive.
Medication Management
Certain medications can also help in this process. Working with a psychiatrist will give you the opportunity to tap into medications that can regulate mood and ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Medication alone will likely not be the long-term solution that you have been seeking, but it can certainly play a valuable role along with some of the other available treatment options.
Building a Support Network
There is nothing quite like a supportive network of people to lift you up when facing PTSD. These people will understand some of your triggers, know your past struggles, and want to see you succeed.
It’s often family members who fill in this role, but it can also be friends, peer support groups, coworkers, and others. Anyone who truly wants to see you thrive and will help keep you on the right track can be counted in your support network.
Fight Back Against Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Today
You shouldn’t have to deal with your PTSD symptoms alone. PTSD can lead to intense feelings, raise stress levels, and mute positive emotions. By connecting with a mental health professional, you can start to regain control over your daily life and improve your overall well-being.
That journey to healing from trauma starts with a call to Purpose Healing Center. Our friendly team would be proud to serve you, and that will start by explaining our mental health services and how we can treat specific PTSD symptoms.
Don’t wait another day to turn your life in a new direction, reach out confidentially now.
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