T Wants Me To Start Facing Triggers

[loui50]

So.....T says I need to start facing some of my smaller triggers and processing them. I basically have to trigger myself in small doses to do this!. I'm honestly scared!! I have 3 different trauma so my triggers are all over the place. The first one she wants me to address is a shirt my husband has. Last time he wore it I saw my step father standing in the yard instead of my husband who was actually standing there. She said to start by just looking at the shirt and leaving it in plain view. Then when I'm ready, having him wear it. I told my husband about this plan and I think he is uncomfortable with it, but has agreed to do it.

Has anyone here done this before?
How long does it take desensitize yourself from a trigger?
How do you keep yourself grounded longer term? (I can ground myself immediately after, but I'm scared of going back to thinking about it and getting retriggered.)

 

[Alibongo]

Hiya
I'm doing that just now - I have to go to places and watch videos that trigger me. It's hard so u need to be prepared for the worsening of ur symptoms anxiety etc initially but it does get easier. Not sure how long it will take u -I'm still doing it and it's been a few months. Anything else u want to know ow just ask. Hugs x

 

[loui50]

@Alibongo, are you triggers always the same or do you get surprised by new triggers all the time? The shirt is a new one for me. He has warn it before and it didn't trigger me. But it did this time and when I hung it up after washing it, it triggered me. Does the anxiety from the trigger just get less and less until it is gone? Or is that at least the point? I'm also triggered by things like hurricanes and big knives, which she doesn't want me addressing yet.

 

[rosey]

hi @loui50. I did a lot of trigger work a few years back. Started by keeping a notebook to diary entry them. Having a long trauma history i managed to fill a whole jot pad in a week. They ranged from things that would give me just a passing thought to full on panic mode triggers. The diary had to be filed for a few weeks til i got over the sheer shock of how many triggers I had. We then worked through them starting at low level ones and building up. I took time and I still have to work on many more but I must say that things that used to have me wanting to run I now just notice, mental note them and get on with the day. This can of course fluctuate depending on the day, mood etc but it was well worth doing.

I had to use a lot of grounding techniques to get me through so if you dont have any that work for you then i would suggest working to find a few.

stay strong

 

[Alibongo]

@Alibongo, are you triggers always the same or do you get surprised by new triggers a...

I generally have an idea what my triggers are but sometimes they do take me by surprise. Yeah the theory is that the more u are exposed to it the less it will bother u. That's the theory anyway and it's not quite happened for me yet. Don't be scared of it tho it'll be worth it all when u feel better hopefully x