Trigger Warnings

[Nicolette]

Please be advised that 'Trigger Warnings' are of no benefit and are not encouraged in thread titles and posts.

If you choose an appropriate thread title a person then chooses if they proceed to read and can leave at any time they wish.

What triggers one person may have no impact on another so having a trigger warning is a moot point.

 

[Rumors]

Just something you needed off your chest? Lol.

I get why people want to announce it but it almost makes me want to read it more to find out what makes it triggering. Maybe that's the intent? Lol

 

[StarChild]

Maybe that's the intent?

No, I don't think so. About a year ago, I visited another ptsd forum. And they really were very adamant on writing trigger warnings. If one did not, and they had the impression, the written content was to "dangerous" to trigger others, one received a dissuasion.

If one forgot it the second time, the criticism came across quite harsh, and with a warning to get banned for a month...

 

[zaniara]

But sometimes when I didn't write (in my diary) a warning before writing something that might trigger anyone who have suffered and not healed yet from for example sexual trauma someone wrote to me that what I wrote triggered them into a flashback. And that's not nice.

Isn't it okay to write such a warning in your own diary? I surely only mean to be polite and give others the choice of protecting them selfs from what they may not be capable of handling right now. It's their choice to read or not to read after the warning.

 

[DharmaGirl]

I'm in a PTSD group, and we discussed that. A wise lady said that we were all there to heal, and so we should say what we need to, and the person in distress can go into another room and someone will go with to help with grounding. This is a PTSD forum. There will be many triggers which is why I almost never visit trauma diaries.

 

[zaniara]

here will be many triggers which is why I almost never visit trauma diaries.

But with a warning before such content in the diary you might be able to? To read the positive parts I mean? And I understand your example. But that's real life. In real life others can notice when you're triggered, but here you might sit alone in front of a computer and have big troubles reaching out. (of course one can try to reach out here too.. *thinking* As I've done.)

 

[Nicolette]

But with a warning before such content in the diary you might be able to?

What triggers one person may not necessarily trigger another yet they both may have PTSD.

 

[Nicolette]

It's their choice to read or not to read after the warning.

Knowing you are in a trauma diary makes it very clear that the content will be possibly upsetting to others... you always read based on your choice when you enter that section.

 

[Bilby]

If you choose an appropriate thread title a person then chooses if they proceed to read and can leave at any time they wish.

Fair point, thanks.

 

[Abstract]

I can see both sides to this. I would visit trauma diaries much more if the person used trigger warnings for graphic content. Obviously triggers vary hugely according to the trauma and many other things but certain content is much more likely to trigger such as violence and sexual details or detailed descriptions of medical or accidents.

The other negative aspect of trigger warnings is that it can make us feel responsible for others and add to shame. That can be very counter productive. I really like this aspect of not having trigger warnings on the site. On the one site I was on the trigger warning rules were extreme and the things one had to mark were all encompassing. It made me feel paranoid and self conscious. Having trauma diaries as a "free" area can be very helpful I think.

I am Ok with the no trigger rule but can also see it would be nice if it was a choice one could make in diaries.

 

[cherryblossom]

The other negative aspect of trigger warnings is that it can make us feel responsible for others and add to shame.

I totally agree with this abstract.

Trigger warnings are completely pointless to me simply because what will trigger one person won't trigger another. I have some seriously strange triggers, that often takes me a long while to decipher, so how will anyone know what might trigger a whole community of people who have all suffered uncountable different trauma's and will have been affected in multiple ways. Even happy stuff triggers me sometimes, so it just makes no sense. The whole forum is a potentially a trigger so there's no point in trying to single out odd posts as 'triggers'.

 

[Leah123]

Well, gosh, I see your point cherryblossom, and yours also, Abstract. But... I like trigger warnings, I have to admit it, because, I remember, when I was younger, I used to attend a lot of incest survivor meetings, and I didn't realize it until I was older, but part of the reason I struggled so much was that the stories were so intense for me to hear that I dissociated more because I was overwhelmed by everyone's experiences combined with my own.

I surely don't mean to blame those women, it ABSOLUTELY wasn't their fault at all that they'd been traumatized and I'm SO glad they were brave enough to share! I do see that there are so many potential triggers, it's be impossible to predict which ones might bother other people, but... some experiences are relatively common, like sexual abuse, so, I think they could be helpful.

I hope not to offend anyone with my comments.... I just... wanted to share my experience and that I kind of appreciated the trigger warnings, though, now, moreso, I know my own limits, and have a better sense when to stop perusing threads if I'm already feeling overwhelmed.

I do appreciate that Trauma Diaries is a separate forum, and I do avoid it because I'm afraid it would be too much for me.