Establishing distance from triggers

[Unknown User 2051]

Speaking in terms of emotional responses or...PTSD responses stimulated by persistent triggering (?)...

It is very difficult to establish distance from triggers, for me at least for the foreseeable future. Songs, even songs I have really enjoyed, have turned into triggers. Hearing neighbors yelling is huge. Seeing lights and other sounds drives me straight to a 10 on the stress scale.

I've learned how to be quiet. Words, even simple words, scare the crap out of me. My abusers remain free and likely always will. That is simply how things play out some of the time.

Identifying friendly faces is a challenge. The wisest course of action seems to be to take no action. There are too many variables to control. Making the mistake of thinking I understand anything at all seems to make everything more scary.

Kind thoughts are welcome and thank you for hearing.

 

[Friday]

Avoiding triggers never works in the long term.

Becuase ANYTHING that existed back when… can be a trigger… now.

Including your own heart beat. A ray of sunshine, or shadow in the dark. The ONLY thing avoiding triggers does? Is. Create. “New”. Triggers.

Triggers are “just” trauma leaking out.

Plug up one hole? 10,000 others are ready to spring.

The texture of the air, or carpet, or your own tongue in your mouth. Triggers? Cannot be avoided. Your world will simply shrink smaller and smaller, until it’s just you. Locked in a room. Triggering yourself.

 

[Movingforward10]

Some triggers can be avoided. Some can't. Trying to element each and every trigger in your life will be a losing battle I'm sorry to say. Working to manage triggers and working with triggers to overcome them will help.
And it is surprising how this can happen. So there is hope.

Some people use exposure therapy. Some people use thought stopping. Some people use counter messages. Some people have twctile objects. Whatever works for you.


My struggles are similar: songs. And also every day things: exercising, dark and cold weather, hearing the name of the town (which happens a lot), walking past men, etc etc etc. And my abuser's walk around care free too. No consequences for their actions. It well and truely sucks.
Sorry that this is your experience.

 

[Unknown User 2051]

Thanks, those insights are helpful.

I'll think on this more after a while. It's been a rough day, think it's time to take a break from thinking about this for now.