After Being Strongly Triggered, How Long Does It Take To Recover?

[Seasounds]

I wanted to find out how much time you need, to heal, after a trigger? Is it like mine or different?

We all may have a different definition of moderate and strong. For me, a mild trigger takes hours, or a day or two, a moderate trigger takes days to a weeks. And a stronger trigger, takes a month, to a year or two.

How about you?

 

[Tinyflame]

I would say mild a few hours, maybe a day , moderate a few days to a week, severe about 10 -25 days, longer if I don't know why. The more quickly I can figure it out the more power it loses, though I have a tendency to fall apart after the fact when I've not noticed or acknowledged or given it credit it was as severe.

 

[silkleaves]

Anywhere from a few hours to a few months... I'm still at the point where I'm not entirely aware of what my triggers are. In therapy I would say they come out of nowhere, but she would say *something* started it, its just that I go from 0-100 so fast that I don't recognize what triggered me. It was something we were working on...never got that worked out unfortunately.So yeah, I really am not sure as far as the specific effect of mild vs severe triggers.

However, since my time in therapy, I at least now have my moment where I'm aware that I have been triggered, and have some grounding techniques to bring myself back around. So far, the longest I have gone is about a week or so...which is huge progress over before therapy, when it was pretty common for me to be unable to function for a month or so. But on average, it happens several times a week but only lasts for a few hours.

 

[stuckinmyhead]

For me it depends on the trigger as I'm more sensitive about some things than others and it's harder for me to calm down around other people unless they know just what to say. A mild trigger can take me a few hours to a day. A serious trigger can last a few days.
I'm just getting over a big one right now, I'm on day 2 and it's almost over.

 

[franciemarnie]

I am the same as you @change.

 

[Laura 2]

My response/recovery time is about the same as yours, change.

Unfortunately, my triggers are across the board. I deliberately avoid ALL live news reports and don't listen/watch TV and radio. I don't buy newspapers. I read only foreign news online and carefully selected UK articles. I cannot watch TV in case of seeing scenes which resemble my experiences. A trip to a doctor or therapist is fraught with possibilities for triggering. I don't use email and nor do I open my post. Sometimes I cannot even answer my mobile even when I recognise the caller's number. Every noise outside the house has trigger potential.

Avoidance really is the only way for me to live a semblance of a normal life.

 

[Lidia]

I would say mild a few hours, maybe a day , moderate a few days to a week, severe about 10 -25 days, longer if I don't know why. The more quickly I can figure it out the more power it loses, though I have a tendency to fall apart after the fact when I've not noticed or acknowledged or given it credit it was as severe.

What should a supporter do during this time? What is the best way to show support without making it worse? :hug:

 

[ghotiff]

What should a supporter do

I want to be left alone and be given "permission" to do what ever works for me regardless of how "silly" it looks from the outside.

 

[digger]

What should a supporter do during this time?

Ask the person they are supporting what they need in that time. Although maybe better to establish these things ahead of the event. Everyone is different. Everyone has different needs.

 

[Caterpillar]

I can't really rate the severity of triggers. Either something triggers flashbacks and dissociation or it doesn't, more like an on/off switch. It usually takes me a few days after for the symptoms to go away.

 

[Go Hungry]

I have a host of triggers. I watch the news and read news on the internet, but I have to avoid anything about violence to children or bullying. Also generally have to avoid things about god, though that's gotten a lot better in recent years. I am usually able to put it aside until I get home from work or get to be alone, then it comes out and I can spend hours freaking out about it. I thought that was the extent of it, but lately it seems like some of them simmer for weeks, but I'm just really really good at ignoring them. It just depends.

 

[Fadeaway]

It depends on the trigger. For me, many triggers don't last long if it is mild, only a few hours. Some, I feel better the next day and can be over it by the following day. Those are the majority for me.

However, last July, I encountered a trigger that I am still not past. I was completely retraumatized by that trigger and it sent me into a serious downward spiral. All the progress I had made in my healing, went away.