A problem of our generation is thinking that simple routines and everyday life are harmful. Much is said about healthy habits and how to acquire them, but little is said about practices that can wake triggers due to past traumas. Whether at home, in the workplace, in schools, or in college, it is possible that something reminds us of an unhealed wound.
The environments we frequent, the people we know, and everyday actions can accelerate this process and severely affect our lives. Luini Lacerda, a clinical psychologist with a background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Luíz Flávio da Silva, a psychologist specializing in couple and family therapy, thanatology, existential-phenomenological analysis, and systemic approach. Both will shed light on one of the most notable aspects of psychology.
What is a trigger and how can it be activated?
A trigger is a mental piece that, in a mechanism, works like a lever. It is a popular term given to the technical one called a triggering factor. The triggering factor will always be a situation that somehow reminds the individual of a past event that can be considered traumatic.
Thus, every time there is an encounter with this factor or something similar that brings back the memory of the experienced situation, it becomes a trigger. When the trigger is activated, the person relives the situation and all the sensations felt on that day, generating a state of anxiety about the pain to come. This happens because the brain makes direct associations between that factor and some negative and painful experiences the person has already lived through, triggering an emotional and physical reaction.
Triggers can be a place, a situation, a thought, a word, a color, a person, a smell, a song, or a photo, and they are activated when they are seen or sensed. They are the consequence of trauma and associations made by the brain itself. No trigger is the same for everyone, even though many people may have similar triggers and experiences.
How to Deactivate a Trigger?
Once a trigger is activated, there are several dangerous consequent factors if it is not deactivated. To deactivate a trigger, psychologist Luini recommends trying to calm down in the first place. Luíz Flávio adds that depending on the severity, a person may even feel ill, have a heart attack, or experience an anxiety crisis when the trigger is activated.
One way to return to a normal state is to be or seek a safe place and take deep breaths to calm both the body and mind. Being close to someone trustworthy is also a guarantee of safety.
“The emotions that arise are very intense, and this will influence the quality of thought and rationality. So it is best to calm down and wait for them to diminish,” she said.
Luíz Flávio also mentions another type of defense. It doesn’t function as a deactivation, but rather as a way that our own body produces to try to escape from this kind of discomfort. It is called an avoidance mechanism, meaning that anything that bothers and can be a triggering factor, the mind will avoid it, even if unconsciously.
Referred to by psychoanalysis as a life drive, our unconscious protects us in a sense of self-preservation, he adds.
However, there is a flaw in this mechanism since escaping from reality will not bring healing but perpetuate the problem. But how can we find the origin?
How to Identify Deep Trauma?
“It is a long process of analysis, and sometimes the person who has the trauma can identify its origin. It is highly individual and personal, requiring professional fields such as psychology, psychiatry, and neurology, which deal with the mind and emotions, to help the patient trace the root of the problem,” he says.
Deep trauma is a wound caused by a negative experience, a mark, or an injury. Whenever the wound is not successfully healed, it brings us pain and memories of that moment. It is a psychological, physical, or mental injury. It usually arises as an intense or even chronic emotional response to a stressful event, such as accidents, deaths, psychological or physical abuse, assaults, and so on.
Once someone realizes they have a trigger, they should seek psychological help as soon as possible to identify where they come from. Whenever it is activated, the suffering is repeated, which makes the psychological impact stronger each time. It is something that needs to be treated.
Not addressing this issue can generate many consequences that affect a person’s daily life. They will always be accompanied by many limitations. “They will end up distancing themselves from places or people they like, avoiding basic activities out of fear, and start avoiding many things. This chronically leads to a more depressed state, potentially causing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It greatly affects psychological and physical health,” says the psychologist.
The Places
The environment is a significant and decisive factor in mental health. Cultivating a good environment at home, and at work, and maintaining good relationships is the first step to preventing triggers from being activated and preventing traumas from becoming even deeper. “Taking care of sleep routines, nutrition, and physical exercise are also three very important pillars,” she adds.
Wisely, Luini says it is necessary to create new memories for places so that this new meaning overrides the bad memory. “For example, if someone had a panic attack at the mall, they start avoiding the mall and even other places that resemble it. The idea is to plan an outing with friends, with family, to engage in an interesting program that allows you to have a good experience in that place, creating positive memories as a replacement.”
This is a completely different situation when it comes to places that remind you of abuse or even people. Immediate distancing is of utmost importance. Avoid frequenting those places, but at the same time, address the problem so that it stops affecting you as much.
How to Stop Having Triggers?
The path to complete deactivation of triggers lies in treating the cause. Progressive confrontation of the situation will bring surprising results. Seeking awareness of what caused it and what it is, with the help of therapy, psychotherapy, or even involving a psychiatrist for the prescription of medication.
Creating new strategies and reframing traumas will make the person resilient. They will be able to pass through places, meet people, and see things that could trigger something, but because they are healed, they will return to their normal state.
Professional and family support is exceptional during the treatment period. You are not alone, seek help.
CVV (Brazilian Suicide Prevention Hotline): 188
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The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.
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