Even when I'm not triggered, having to think about the ins ands outs of this disorder and trauma tend to do my head in. If I'm thinking about disassociation, I tend to either dissociate more, or start catching myself before I disassociate.
(Trick: Try and pay attention to what happens right before you dissociate :p Doest work for everyone, but it tends to interrupt the process. Dead stop it, sometimes. Even when that doesn't exactly work? Over time it let me see the tumblers in that particular lock.)
But similar things are true -I've found- for everything.
Before I was really aware : When I was in school I would actually get up and walk out if certain topics were even brushed on. There was a very open vet in one of my classes, I transferred out.
Now that I'm actually trying to sort shit? : When reading books on PTSD? I can't download them... Because I have a pernicious habit of throwing them at walls, and have in fact thrown my tablet. I stay out of the 3 forums (and most threads) where 2 of my traumas (and 1 ancillary thing that isn't mine, but hits too close to home for comfort) are "kept" unless I have coping mechanisms in places to deal with the fallout, because there will be fallout.
Most of this is probably logged under 'avoidance'. Regardless, it pisses me off. So I keep f*cking with it, until it stops provoking a reaction.