Recognizing The Real Triggers of PTSD

Recognizing the real triggers of PTSD is the first step. “They’re coming from everywhere, we’re surrounded”, a war veteran might say as he relives over and over a scene from the war he fought in. Or, it could stem from physical abuse that a wife has endured most of her marriage. Understanding PTSD is like having a nightmare over and over. You keep reliving the trauma limitlessly.

For myself, it’s when my first grade teacher repeatedly pulled me out of my desk by my hair. To this day, I don’t like people touching my head. That’s why I have a hard time getting haircuts (they’re few and far between). And then add on my fellow classmates bullying me all throughout school. I absolutely hated school!

So, what is a trigger? In PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), a “trigger” is anything that brings back memories of a traumatic event. It could be a sight, sound, smell, or situation that reminds someone of what they went through. When someone is triggered, they might feel intense emotions or physical reactions like anxiety, panic, flashbacks, or tough memories. Figuring out what these triggers are is an important step in managing PTSD and finding ways to handle those reactions.

PTSD risk factors are elements that can increase the likelihood of developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after experiencing a traumatic event. Some common risk factors include:

Severity and Duration of Trauma: Experiencing intense or prolonged trauma, such as combat exposure or repeated abuse, can increase the risk.
Previous Trauma: Having a history of trauma, especially in childhood, can heighten vulnerability.
Mental Health History: A personal or family history of mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, can be a risk factor.
Lack of Support: Limited social support from family, friends, or community can increase the risk of developing PTSD.
Stressful Life Changes: Experiencing significant life changes or stressors, such as losing a loved one or a job, can contribute to the risk.
Substance Abuse: Engaging in substance abuse can exacerbate symptoms and increase the likelihood of PTSD.
Personality Traits: Certain personality traits, such as a tendency towards negative thinking or a lack of resilience, can be risk factors.

Understanding these risk factors can help identify and intervention for those at risk of developing PTSD.

Recognizing the real triggers of PTSD and the criteria. The criteria for diagnosing PTSD are outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Here are the key criteria:

Exposure to Trauma: The person needs to have experienced or been exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. This could happen through direct experience, witnessing it, hearing it happened to a close family member or friend, or repeated exposure to distressing details of traumatic events, like what first responders often face.
Intrusion Symptoms: The presence of one or more of the following intrusion symptoms associated with the traumatic event(s):
- Recurring, unwanted, and upsetting memories that keep coming back.
- Recurrent distressing dreams related to the event.
- Dissociative reactions, like flashbacks, where a person feels or acts like the event is happening all over again.
- Strong or persistent emotional upset when confronted with reminders of the event.
- Noticeable physical reactions when reminded of the trauma.
Avoidance: Continuing to avoid anything connected to the trauma, which can show up in one or both of the following ways:
- Trying to avoid upsetting memories, thoughts, or feelings about the event.
- Avoiding or trying to stay away from anything external—like people, places, conversations, activities, objects, or situations—that bring up distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings.
Negative Alterations in Cognitions and Mood: Two or more of the following negative changes in thoughts and mood:
- Inability to remember an important aspect of the trauma.
- Ongoing and overly negative beliefs or expectations about yourself, other people, or the world around you.
- Unhelpful thoughts about the cause or effects of the trauma, leading to self-blame or blaming others.
- A constant negative emotional state, like fear, anger, guilt, shame, or even feeling horrified.
- Noticeably less interest or involvement in important activities.
- Feeling disconnected or distant from others.
- Ongoing difficulty in feeling positive emotions.
Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity: At least two of the following changes in arousal and reactivity:
- Irritable behavior and angry outbursts.
- Risky or self-harmful behavior.
- Alertness.
- Heightened startle reaction.
- Problems with concentration.
- Sleep disturbances.
Duration: The symptoms must last for more than one month.
Functional Significance: The issue causes clear problems or stress in key parts of life, like work, social situations, or everyday activities.
Exclusion:The disturbance isn’t due to the effects of a substance, like medication or alcohol, or any other medical condition.

These guidelines help mental health professionals spot PTSD and tell it apart from other mental health conditions.

Recognizing the real triggers of PTSD, especially trauma ones. Trauma triggers for PTSD are things that can bring back memories or emotions from a traumatic event, causing distressing symptoms. Triggers can be different for everyone, but some common ones include:

Sensory Triggers:
- Visual: Seeing something that reminds the person of the trauma, such as a place, object, or person.
- Auditory: Sounds that are reminiscent of the traumatic event, like loud noises, sirens, or specific music.
- Olfactory: Smells that are linked to the trauma, such as smoke, certain foods, or perfumes.
- Tactile: Physical sensations that recall the trauma, like a touch or temperature change.
Emotional Triggers:
- Experiencing emotions similar to those felt during the trauma, such as fear, helplessness, or anger.
Situational Triggers:
- Being in a situation that resembles the traumatic event, such as crowded places, confined spaces, or being alone.
Cognitive Triggers:
- Thoughts or memories that spontaneously arise and remind the person of the trauma.
Social Triggers:
- Interactions or relationships that bring up feelings related to the trauma, such as conflict or rejection.
Anniversaries or Dates:
- Specific dates or times of year that mark the anniversary of the traumatic event.

Understanding and identifying these triggers is crucial if you want to overcome PTSD. Once you know the triggers, you can begin working on how not to react so dintinctively. It won’t be an automatic response.

Recognizing the real triggers of PTSD and the anxiety that comes with it. Trauma can develop into anxiety. You develop a fear from that trauma, and eventually it turns into anxiety. My anxiety stemmed from the fact that no matter what I did, it was never up to par. So, when the teacher pulled on my hair, I figured I wasn’t doing my best to learn. That led to weak self-confidence. I shouldn’t say weak, I should say nonexistent. I grew up in life hating myself.

The anxiety only grew as I got older. The social anxiety grew also to the point where I didn’t want to go out in public. Anxiety took over my life. So, how did I get to where I’m at today?

I’m in the position today because I pushed myself to try to overcome anxiety (I’m not there yet). Even though it is uncomfortable, I am proud of the progress I’ve made. I’m venturing out in public places, which I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) before. This is called exposure therapy. It’s one of the best therapies there is. It helped me get over my fear of driving. A whole new world has opened up for me because of it.

How do you deal with PTSD triggers? You have to find something that keeps you grounded. Mine was meditation. This too helped with the anxiety. The art of meditation takes me to a quiet, calm place where the triggers can’t get to me.

I’ve also learned a lot throughout my journey in seeing a therapist. It was there where I learned CBT and Exposure Therapy. It is also where I realized through repressed memories about the abuse from the teacher. I put two and two together and found out that’s where my PTSD stemmed from.

To explore more on exposure therapy, this really was the game changer. I slowly exposed myself to my PTSD triggers, and they started to have less affect on me. I’m not completely free, but I don’t get triggered as much anymore. I’m working through my social anxiety with it. There are a host of triggers that I have overcome with this simple technique.

Recognizing the real triggers of PTSD and what it feels like. PTSD feels like a pinball machine (I may be dating myself here), you’re bounced from one trigger to the next. . You’re trying to navigate through the maze and keep hitting the levers bouncing off the walls. Each trigger sends you in a different direction, just as if you’re bouncing off the walls in the maze. When you make it to the end of the game, the ball has gone down in the whole, just like your anxiety subsides until you get triggered again.

I don’t know if that is a good analogy, but that was the first thing that came to mind. Also, PTSD is reliving your trauma over and over again. Although, like with me, the trauma is hidden. Because I was so young, it didn’t resurface until years later. All these situations were triggering me, but I didn’t realize the root cause.

The effects of post traumatic stress disorder increased my anxiety a lot. At one point, I was afraid to talk to anyone (even my own family). I was afraid they would see what a horrible person I was. Of course, that was an exaggeration of what I was like (lots of therapy to find that out). It all boils down to insecurities.

Insecure was my middle name. I criticized everything little thing I did. You know how they say you are your own worst critic, that was me. Anytime I tried to do something new or take a risk, I would immediately shut myself down with thoughts of failure and self-doubt. It held me back from pursuing my dreams and trying new things. I was stuck in a cycle of negative self-talk, and it was draining.

But then, one day I stumbled upon an article about the power of positive thinking. It sounded like some cheesy self-help nonsense at first, but something about it resonated with me. So I decided to give it a try. And here I am today!

I started small by simply changing my inner dialogue. Instead of saying “I can’t do this”, I would say “I’ll try my best”. It may seem like a minor change, but it had a huge impact on how I approached challenges and setbacks.

Recognizing the real triggers of PTSD and its long-term effects. The long-term effects can be significant and impact various aspects of an individual’s life. Some of these effects include:

Chronic Anxiety and Depression: Persistent feelings of anxiety and depression can develop, affecting mood and overall mental health.
Relationship Difficulties: PTSD can strain relationships with family, friends, and partners due to emotional withdrawal, irritability, or difficulty trusting others.
Physical Health Problems: Chronic stress from PTSD can contribute to physical health issues, such as cardiovascular problems, chronic pain, or gastrointestinal disorders.
Occupational Challenges: Difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and emotional instability can affect job performance and career advancement.
Social Isolation: Individuals with PTSD may withdraw from social activities and become isolated due to fear of triggers or feeling misunderstood.
Sleep Disturbances: Long-term sleep issues, such as insomnia or nightmares, can persist, affecting overall health and well-being.
Increased Risk of Other Mental Health Disorders: PTSD can increase the risk of developing other mental health conditions, such as panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or phobias.

Recognizing the real triggers of PTSD is a game changer. The triggers of PTSD can present themselves immediately or sometimes in the future. I believe the anxiety I felt started early, but was never diagnosed until much later. I also believe my shyness was because I was afraid of people and what they would do to me if I spoke up. Speak up if this resonates with you.

Nowadays, I speak my mind, and it feels like I’m free from the restraints of anxiety and my PTSD triggers. All you need is the confidence to overcome those triggers and live the life you were meant to live. Don’t let any mental illness take that away from you. You are a beacon of light that needs to shine for everyone to see. Peace and always love. Until next time…

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Coping with Traumatic Stress Reactions

Can emotional abuse cause PTSD?

What Are PTSD Triggers?

“A trigger is the connection between the conscious mind and a buried painful memory.” – Unknown

“Healing happens when you’re triggered and you’re able to move through the pain, the pattern, the story and walk your way to a different ending.” – Vienna Pharaon

“Just when you think you’re in a good place, one small trigger sends you spiralling down again.” – Unknown

“The body remembers. Stuffed until an event, a sound, a sight, a touch, a word, or a person awakens them” – Unknown

“If storing memories is like putting away groceries, a traumatic event is stored by shoving a bunch of stuff in a cabinet and then any time it gets opened all the stuff falls on your head.” – Unknown