A trauma trigger is a psychological cue that activates involuntary memories of past traumatic experiences. Experiencing trauma triggers can be distressing and debilitating at times. While addressing the trauma itself is the best way to reduce or eliminate trauma triggers, there are coping mechanisms to help support yourself through an episode.
What Are Trauma Triggers?
Trauma triggers refer to experiences that remind you of your trauma and activate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms (e.g., nightmares, flashbacks, dissociation, fight/freeze/flee responses, physical distress, memory issues). Individuals with PTSD vary in terms of the type, number, and frequency of trauma triggers they experience, and may not always be aware of what all of their trauma triggers are.
Individuals with PTSD will most likely have both internal and external trauma triggers. These triggers are somehow connected to their trauma experience. Internal trauma triggers come from inside one’s own body and mind, while external triggers exist in the outside world.
Examples of trauma triggers include:
Internal Triggers
- PTSD symptoms
- Memories of the trauma
- Feelings of abandonment, betrayal, shame, anger/rage, fear/terror, guilt, powerlessness/helplessness
- Physical sensations of pain
- Trauma anniversary dates (which the body will remember even if you’ve consciously forgotten)
- Critical or blaming self-talk
External Triggers
- Specific people, or people with a specific body type, personality characteristics, occupation, level of authority, and so forth
- Places
- Time of day (often night time hours)
- Smells or scents
- Objects or colors
- Sounds
- Physical touch (that is reminiscent of the trauma)
- Being startled
- Bullying or witnessed/experienced abuse of any kind
- Witnessing trauma happening to a loved one or a stranger
- Unexpected changes in your life that are beyond your control
How to Identify Trauma Triggers
Having a distressing reaction to a situation that seems exaggerated or overblown, given the actual context of the situation, could be the result of a trauma trigger. Reactions that seem excessive indicate that there is something more going on that requires further attention.
Below are questions to ask yourself to help you identify trauma triggers:
What was happening prior to your being triggered?
- How were you feeling physically and emotionally?
- What were you thinking about?
- Where were you?
- Who was there?
- What was happening outside of you?
What was happening at the moment you noticed you were being triggered?
- What physical sensations did you have?
- What emotions did you experience?
- What thoughts did you have?
- Where were you?
- Who was there?
- What was happening?
12 Tips for Coping With Trauma Triggers
There are a number of strategies that can be used to address trauma triggers as they occur.
It is important to experiment with different strategies to find which ones work best for you in helping your mind and body to move out of reliving trauma, to getting yourself oriented to, and grounded in, the safety of the present moment.
It can be helpful to have the understanding and support of loved ones who can protect you from unnecessary exposure to trauma triggers and assist you in getting grounded when you are triggered. Additionally, working with a therapist who specializes in trauma, can help you to process and release your trauma, which will typically result in a reduction, or even elimination, of reactions to trauma triggers.
Here are 12 tips for dealing with trauma triggers:
1. Go to a Safe Place (if possible)
Trauma triggers can cause symptoms that make it difficult for you to pay attention to what is happening around you at the moment, and leave you vulnerable. If you can, go to a safe place (e.g., a bathroom, a private bedroom, find a place to park if you are driving) until your trauma reaction has passed and you can get grounded again.
2. Use a TV Screen Visualization
If you are having visual or auditory (sound) flashbacks, use your mind to place them on an imaginary TV screen, and have your present day self change the channel to a more calming screen. It may keep trying to pop up, but if you keep shutting it down and saying to yourself something like, “It’s over. I am safe now,” it will likely stop.
3. Breathwork With a Hold
Trauma triggers can allow you to relive your trauma, and in doing so, your body will respond as though it is actually happening in the present moment. What that means for most people is that you will either stop breathing at times, or your breathing will become very fast and shallow—as part of the fear response. Mindful breathing and various forms of breathwork can help.
Choosing to do breathwork with an extended hold requires you to step into your current body—and out of the reliving—thus helping with grounding.
Breathwork with a hold could look like this:
- Inhale for 5 seconds through your nose
- Hold that breath for a full 5 seconds in your core or heart space
- Exhale slowly for a count of 5 seconds through your mouth… releasing anything that needs to be released emotionally and physically from your body
- Repeat this for 2-5 minutes, until you feel calmer and grounded
4. Use “Three Things…”
A variety of grounding techniques can help pull you into the present moment. An example of a ground technique to help you to cope with trauma triggers is the Three Things strategy.
The Three Things strategy could look like this:
- Using your sight, notice three objects around you. For each, observe their color, visual texture, and your reactions to them.
- Using your sense of hearing, observe three sounds in your current environment. Listen carefully, notice tone, repetitions, patterns, and your reactions.
- Using your sense of touch, observe the temperature, texture, weight, and your reaction to three objects in your immediate environment.
- If applicable in your environment, you can also use your senses of smell and taste in the same way.
5. Create a Safety Plan
Create a safety plan to remind you of safe people, places, objects, and activities for when you are experiencing trauma triggers. Keep your safety plan with you—possibly in notes on your phone—to remind you of steps you can take to help yourself feel calmer and grounded again. Following trauma triggers, it is common to forget things, so having a list available can help.
6. Read/Listen to a Message From Yourself
When you are feeling your best, it can be helpful to write or record a message to support yourself when you experience trauma triggers. Keep it on your person as you go about your day so you can easily find it if you are triggered.
Here are some of the points you may want to remind yourself of in your message:
- how old you are now and that you are a survivor with a warrior spirit who has lived through the impossible already
- that you are safe now and the trauma is over
- the power you now have to make choices
- the people who care about you
- what you have accomplished in your life
- the resources available to you
- the strategies that help you to feel centered and grounded
7. Distraction
Some people find that distractions can allow them to detour from the previously established neural pathway between trauma trigger and symptom response. A distraction detour can be used as soon as the trauma trigger is recognized.
Some examples of distraction are:
- Calling or texting a friend
- Playing with an animal companion
- Singing a song
- Listening to a guided meditation
8. Self-Soothing
Self-soothing refers to using sensory strategies that your mind and body associate with safety, comfort, and relaxation, to disrupt the neural pathway between trauma trigger and distress.
Some examples of self-soothing are:
- Taking a hot shower or bath
- Lighting a scented candle
- Hugging a loved one or petting an animal companion
- Looking at the face or a picture of a loved one
- Listening to the sounds of nature or uplifting/calming music
- Having a favorite hot drink or food
9. Mindfulness
Traditional mindfulness focuses on just noticing the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations you are currently experiencing. For some, this might not be helpful when being triggered. Instead, you might want to try a different type of mindfulness when dealing with a trauma trigger, by asking yourself: “How can I best support myself in this moment (where a moment is the next 20 minutes)?” A mindfulness app like Headspace could also help.
10. Reach Out to a Loved One
You might want to work out, in advance, a plan with a loved one for when you are experiencing a trauma trigger. Let them know what you most need from them if they are with you, or if you text/call them following exposure to a trauma trigger.
11. Avoid Known Triggers (if possible and in your best interest)
Some trauma triggers can lead to disabling trauma symptoms. Until you are far enough into trauma therapy to have addressed the roots of your trauma, there could be some trauma triggers that you would be better to avoid for the time being, if possible.
Some examples of trauma triggers that might be avoidable include:
- Certain movies, books, or news stories that depict trauma similar to your own
- Specific people (or types of people) who were the cause of your trauma
- Places where the trauma occurred
Once you have healed from your trauma, you will be less likely to be triggered by reminders of your trauma. You will then be able to make informed decisions, from a place of groundedness, as to whether there is any benefit to voluntarily exposing yourself to reminders of your trauma.
12. Dual Awareness and Supportive Self-Talk
Dual awareness refers to experiencing the awareness of: 1) the part of you that is reliving the past trauma in the present moment; and 2) the part of you that is you in the present moment who is observing that part of you that is reliving the trauma. Dual awareness is a powerful mechanism for healing trauma.
The next time you experience a trauma trigger and experience some form of reliving the trauma, make a decision to “step into” your present day self to observe the part of you that is reliving the trauma.
Your present day self can then take an active role in supporting your traumatized part by reminding that part:
- the trauma is over and you have survived it
- what is happening, even though it seem real, is just neurons firing
- it is safe now
- you current self will take care and support the wounded part
When to Seek Professional Help
If trauma triggers are resulting in symptoms that are debilitating and causing you significant distress, you should consider reaching out to a professional who is not only trauma-informed (which speaks to an attitude and awareness), but also specializes in treating PTSD with various types of trauma therapies. PTSD does not go away on its own, but effective therapies exist to help you to heal from trauma.
Take some time to find the right therapist for your needs. An online therapist directory can also be helpful.
Treatment options for coping with trauma triggers may include the following types of trauma therapies:1
Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
TF-CBT is a therapy that was designed specifically to focus on addressing trauma.
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy involves:
- psychoeducation about trauma
- teaching enhanced coping and relaxation skills
- identifying, understanding and changing distressing trauma-related thoughts and behaviors
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
EMDR for PTSD uses bilateral stimulation (left/right)—via tapping on your hands, a light bar, or sound—to help you to process trauma memories and release any distress related to negative beliefs about yourself that occurred during or following the trauma. Negative beliefs are rewritten to be more accurate and supportive.
Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM)
CRM utilizes layers of support/resources (e.g., breathwork, building a strong connection to your imagined safe place and spirit being/animal/force of nature, a body grid of groundedness) to allow you to have the strength to step into the root of your trauma. Once the trauma is fully experienced, there is a positive shift in physical sensations, emotions, and cognitions related to the trauma and self.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal family systems therapy posits that each person has a true Self, and that there are additional parts (i.e., Exiles, Firefighters, and Managers) that carry and defend the Self from the pain of the trauma. IFS helps you to connect with the Self to better understand the pain and roles of each of these parts, release the pain, and assist the parts in learning how to work together in a healthy way.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive processing therapy is a form of CBT that was created specifically to address trauma within a short-term model (i.e., usually 12 weeks).
Cognitive processing therapy includes:
- Psychoeducaiton about trauma
- Development of coping skills
- cognitive restructuring to evaluate, challenge, and change maladaptive, distressing beliefs connected to the trauma
In My Experience
In my experience, the best way to address trauma triggers is to get to the root of the trauma and release it. Once that happens, my clients tell me that what surprises them is what doesn’t happen when faced with a previous trauma trigger. In other words, they don’t have a reaction to it and don’t experience physical or emotional distress.
In trauma therapy, it will take time to get to a place where trauma triggers no longer affect you. Thus, I recommend my clients try the tips outlined above to help them to cope in the interim. I encourage you to experiment with these strategies to find out what works for you. Each person is different, and it is a good idea to create an individualized toolkit of strategies for yourself.
Know that it is possible to heal from PTSD, and to reduce or eliminate resultant trauma triggers. PTSD requires specialized treatment to address the changes that happen in the brain as a result of trauma. I encourage you to seek out that help. You deserve to heal and to reclaim your mind, body, and life.
Trauma Triggers Infographics
