How to learn your triggers?

[FragileGlass]

I came off shift today finally realizing that I actually do have a trigger. It was only because it happened more than once today and the same reaction from me every time. I had four mental health crisis patients today, gripping, squeaking and ripping empty styrofoam cups. It has been an irritation for a long while now, I didn't make the connection till today.

It's been difficult to pin point anything specific from events I'm involved with, they vary from one extreme to another. While there are two specific events that have impacted me. I've been involved in hundreds of scenarios. It's hard to say whether anything else underlying is just throwing gas to the flame. The sounds, scents, touch and visual change drastically. However I'm finding a high level of irritation and sensory overload at times.

Is there a constructive method to analyze or review trauma events to potentially pin point visual, auditory, touch triggers?

 

[joeylittle]

Is there a constructive method to analyze or review trauma events to potentially pin point visual, auditory, touch triggers?

I tend to think of it the other way round. When I can observe a reaction I have to a stimulus, then I can start to pay attention to it. Sometimes, it suddenly becomes obvious where it connects in my trauma narrative. Other times, it takes a while to mull it over. I find writing it out (the reaction, and what I think is causing it), putting a number of different incidences on paper, it's somehow easier for me to notice connections to other things.

Grabbing onto the standard aspects of the CBT triangle (or diamond) - what's the physical response, the feeling, the behavior, and the thought - breaking those down often helps me figure it out as well.

The times I've been able to track things from the trauma event to the present day response have only been in therapy, while doing processing work on my trauma narrative. I end up examining the detail in the moment to moment of the traumatic memory, and that can clarify the aspects of that memory that I can still experience and by triggered by, in my day to day.

However I'm finding a high level of irritation and sensory overload at times.

If you are used to operating under stress (and it sounds like you are), it can help to just keep a running log of your overall mood and SUDS rating, by the half-hour or hour. You may be used to coping with and dampening your reactions to things. That can cause one to miss the actual trigger, and attribute things to the wrong stimuli.

It's a great question; I'm looking forward to reading the responses.

 

[FragileGlass]

@joeylittle

Thank you, I am able to handle the stress load of work, I know that I am getting triggered, it's majority times at work that I'm triggered, I feel that acknowledging my triggers won't send me hiding under beds just yet. I just want to manage them better if I can find critical ones. Like finding out styrofoam cups is a trigger now affords my patient's a major upgrade in what they drink water from. In my presence at least. Haha!

The PTSD element is one thing but i know the continual barrage of tragic scenarios is causing overall fatigue. I can manage the fatigue when I'm not irritated.

I'm still working on self checking periodically during emergency situations because I am locked in with my adrenaline until crisis is over. I am going to try that more often now that you mention it and maybe I'll start seeing the patterns.