Understanding Trauma Triggers

Trauma changes how you experience the world around you. After a major life-altering event, everyday sights, sounds, and situations can feel overwhelming. What has previously felt normal can cause you to have intense physical and emotional reactions.

This is caused by trauma triggers, which are intrinsically rooted in the traumatic events you have been through. They can appear when you least expect them, and they can feel difficult to manage. 

At Jackson House, we understand how disruptive trauma triggers can be to your life. We believe that by properly understanding them, leaning on those who support you, and finding ways to work through them, you can find healing.

What is a Trauma Trigger?

A trauma trigger is something that reminds you of a traumatic event you have experienced, and it can be either conscious or subconscious. Triggers usually evoke an extreme physical and emotional response, even if the situation you are presently in is not dangerous or unsafe in reality.

When someone is triggered, it can often feel like the traumatic experience is happening again. This is a natural reaction from the body’s nervous system, which can learn to stay on alert as a survival method.

These trauma triggers cause a variety of reactions, including:

1. Anxiety or panic attacks
2. Dissociation 
3. Irritability or anger.
4. Nausea or dizziness
5. Rapid heartbeat
6. Sudden fear or dread
7. Sweating or shaking

Because trauma is personal, trauma triggers are unique to each individual. What can be a trigger for you might not be one for someone else, and vice versa.

Triggers

Though it changes from person to person, there are a few common triggers that trauma survivors can experience. 

Examples of these are as follows:

• Sounds: Certain sounds can immediately bring someone back to a traumatic moment. Loud bangs, sirens, fireworks, and the slam of a door are some of the more notable of these. This is especially true for survivors of domestic violence or those who have experienced combat or violent accidents.
• Sights: Visual reminders can also elicit a trauma response. These focus on the sight of the trauma’s perpetrator, seeing the location where the trauma happened, or objects related to the event. Even objects and people that look similar could trigger a response.
• Smells: Smells are often closely associated with memory, so specific scents could be linked to your traumatic experience and can be powerful triggers. If someone wears the same aftershave as an abuser, for example, a trauma survivor could be transported back to their abuse.
• Emotions: Emotions themselves can be trauma triggers when they are strong enough. Shame, powerlessness, intense sadness, anger, and feelings of rejection are examples of this. If these were present during the trauma, they can be triggering when you feel them in a different situation.
• Situations: Not all trauma triggers have to be sensory. Sometimes, it can be a situation or event that is uncomfortably similar to a traumatic one. An abuse survivor, for example, could be triggered by a conflict with a partner. These create anticipatory anxiety, which can trigger a trauma response.

Flashbacks

Trauma triggers are closely linked with flashbacks, with triggers transporting you back to the event in your mind. However, flashbacks are more than just remembering a traumatic event; instead, they feel like re-living the event in real time. 

During a flashback, someone can:

1. Experience physical sensations associated with the event
2. Feel as though they are back in a traumatic event
3. Hear sounds from the past
4. Lose awareness of their surroundings
5. See vivid images

Someone who experienced a car accident, for example, might suddenly feel that they are back in the driver’s seat and hear screeching tires and similar sounds. Their heart could start racing, and their muscles could start tensing. They could even believe they see an oncoming car.

Working Through Triggers

Though triggers feel overwhelming, it is possible to manage them. Healing involves a process of learning to address and work through your triggers in a healthy way and accepting support from loved ones and professionals.

Though the specifics can vary from person to person, this general process includes:

• Acceptance: This does not mean approving of what happened; it means accepting that you have been through it and survived. It also means accepting that your response and emotions are valid.
• Community: Self-isolation is an understandable reaction to trauma, but it can stall your progress. Community and connecting with friends and family help to prevent this and provide grounding, a support system, and help when you need it.
• Professional help: Working with a qualified mental health professional can make a significant difference in your journey. Trauma specialists identify your specific triggers while helping you address and work through them over the course of multiple sessions.

Everyone’s experience is unique, and a combination of several methods is typically a great way to properly address all of your needs.

Treatment Options

At Jackson House, you receive a personalized, comprehensive trauma treatment plan designed for you. This involves a wide range of treatment options, including:

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
2. Coping skills training
3. Personalized action plans
4. Support after treatment through aftercare services

Reach Out to Jackson House

The right support can help you work through your trauma triggers and find lasting wellness. At Jackson House, our team provides specialized guidance and mental health care based on empathy, respect, and clinical excellence.

We want to help you find freedom from the past so that you can live the life you deserve and take control of your future. Reach out today to take the first step toward trauma treatment.