Neutralizing triggers?

[Mary]

Hi, folks.

I am generally feeling really good. I'm not sure I've ever felt so good in my life. It's been weeks since I've had a panic attack. I went through a move without having a meltdown. Ok, I had a little meltdown, but nothing worse than what I've seen my friends go through during their moves. So, almost nothing is phasing me these days. Except...

A weird trigger. I noticed it with a metal chinese checker board that holds the marbles inside. When they would roll around inside the metal container, the noise sent me into instant panic attack. Why is still mostly a mystery, though it is very noisy and does somewhat sound like things falling and breaking, which would be scary for me because, in my childhood, things falling and breaking meant Ma would get triggered and be on the warpath for the rest of the day (even if she did the breaking). So, needless to say, I got rid of this game as fast as I got it. Horrible!

So, a few days ago, a housemate was pushing a box across the floor and it made a similar noise. I was immediately hypervigilent and said, "stop, stop, stop!" She did. All I could say to her was, "That's a bad noise." I didn't have a full-on panic attack, just got very nervous. I am feeling very calm and safe and grounded at the moment, so I guess that is why I didn't get totally set off?

Anyway, does anyone have ideas to neutralize a trigger? Therapies, self-help, etc...

Mary

 

[Srain]

For me the beginning is to recognize the trigger, face the trigger, understand the trigger, know where it is coming from and why, (though others may differ greatly from this train of thought which may work better others) and then let go.. being able to lessen the effects of the triggers.

I can look at pictures of my father or think about him, see his eyes in my brother or my Son and not feel triggered by it anymore. Of course his blood runs through me on through my family. His sickness does not. My Son is beautiful :) My brother Handsome. He is dead.

--I do this work with trained professional

peace,
Rain

 

[Mary]

Hi, Rain. Thanks for the feedback.

Your response seems to be very intellectual at first--recognizing, face, understand. I can do all of those things very well, as I tend to be a thinker. What is challenging for me it that thinking about something--by itself, anyway--doesn't seem to neutralized this trauma stuff. When it comes to "letting go", I expect that, if I can intellectualize what is happening, that will just automatically fix it. Sometimes it works, but not on the really severe stuff. My counselor says that this is because trauma happens in a part of the brain that doesn't communicate well with the cerebral cortex (which is where we do all of our intellectualizing). So, I struggle to utilize other means (physical? emotional?) of communicating with the part of the brain that holds the trauma.

Were you able to neutralize everything through this intellectual process, or did you also use other techniques (visual, physical...anything like that?)

Mary

 

[Tinyflame]

Mary- I have the same problem (though that's not any help :()

Hey- maybe yor counselor will (can) suggest "then what?" (is recommended?)

-xox

 

[Mary]

Yes. I will ask her about this on Monday.

 

[Tinyflame]

Thank you so much, only happens some times but am at a loss myself, thus far.

(P.S- Welcome to you :):inlove:)

 

[Mary]

I forgot to ask her. This is typical. I need to make a list for sessions.