Beth M. Broom, LPC-S, CCTP-II
Lately I’ve felt unnerved every time I hear the word “trigger.” It’s not because I don’t want us to use the word – it’s because I think it’s become overused and misused. For those who have experienced traumatization, being triggered is a devastating experience. So I feel frustrated when people use it to describe something that’s more like being bothered or caught off guard.
Let’s define the term in a helpful way. When a person is truly triggered, it means the brain receives a signal of danger based on a sensation that reminds it of past trauma. When this happens, the body releases hormones that prepare the body for fight or flight. The logical center of the brain takes a back seat, and safety becomes the highest priority.
Here’s an example. Mary was almost killed in a hit-and-run accident. Years later she is shopping in a busy city, and she happens to hear a loud crunching noise that sounds like metal being crushed. Her brain may register a threat of danger in the same way it registered the actual event of her accident. If that happens, her body goes into high gear. She suddenly senses she must do whatever it takes to get to safety. It’s an incredible memory mechanism that God has given to help us stay alive. We remember past danger, and it steers us away from present danger.
But if Mary finds herself in situations in which she is triggered and there is no current threat of harm, her brain and body are giving her false alarms. She’s on a roller coaster of sorts, and she feels like she’s at the mercy of her environment. Because being triggered is so scary (and exhausting), perhaps Mary begins to isolate and avoid situations in which she might sense danger.
Isolation becomes a coping strategy, but it might not be effective. There are certain things she can’t avoid. And even if she can, she still feels controlled by this stress response. It’s dictating what she can and cannot do. Mary may feel like a failure or a weakling because she can’t handle being in public spaces. That feeling turns into a belief, and her sense of helplessness grows. Helplessness can lead to hopelessness as the cycle starts over the next time she is triggered.
How can Mary break this cycle? Before we discuss practical matters, let’s identify reality. Mary is not actually at the mercy of her environment. God has given her dominion in order to break the cycle. Much more, God has given her His Holy Spirit if she is a believer. She is embodied with the same power that raised Christ from the dead. The fruit of the Spirit is alive in her. This is not the story of someone who is helpless and hopeless. As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:7, “…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” We begin with this reality, because it fuels the very action she will take in order to find a new pattern of response when triggers occur.
Practically, Mary needs to grow in awareness of the types of situations that tend to trigger her, as well as the way her brain and body typically respond. Her quick response to the threat of harm is a self-protection mechanism, and she needs to be able to slow down in moments when her brain and body receive a danger signal. She can learn to determine whether she is receiving a true or false alarm.
Once she has gained awareness of her typical responses, she will need to learn how to calm her body and her mind. This takes time and effort. It’s a skill that has to be developed. As she practices the skills, she creates space between the trigger and the way she will respond.
So how does Mary want to respond when she is triggered? This is the next step. She will begin to plan for an intentional response that includes wisdom and dominion. She wants to assess a situation and be able to decide that it’s not actually dangerous. When she is able to decide, she can reengage with her environment instead of avoiding it.
Eventually, Mary has a different experience while shopping. She hears a noise, and her brain still feels the shock of being triggered. But she has trained herself to take a deep breath, say a prayer for comfort, and assess the situation. She notices that the noise was actually a garbage truck emptying a dumpster. She tells herself that it’s ok, and she can go about her day. As a result of that experience, she feels encouraged and empowered to continue her new pattern of response. She worships the God who sees her and empowers her to respond wisely and confidently.
I have created a tool to help survivors identify their triggers and responses. This tool includes questions to help the survivor identify how they want to respond to triggers and ways to develop new patterns of response. It’s available to all our CTHN Members by clicking HERE. If you want to learn more about how to become a CTHN member, click HERE.