Triggers, Are They Defense Mechanisms?

[RussH]

I do not know if this is the right forum for this, but I have been wondering this about triggers. I know that a trigger is anything that causes a reaction. What I don't know is what causes the triggers? Is it the brain's way of attempting a defense against futher injury? I am just trying to wrap my head around how all this works.

 

[seedling]

Good question, I'd like to know this as well. I hadn't thought about triggers like that.

 

[RussH]

Hopefully we can get some answers

 

[Sighs]

I'm no expert but my understanding is this - if you have been bitten by a snake, when you see a garden hose (especially if you have never seen one before) your brain reacts as if it were a snake. The part of the brain that does this is the amygdala - a pretty primitive part of the brain that reacts very very quickly and puts your body into instant 'fight or flight' mode. It's a very useful survival mechanism, particularly if there are lots of snakes in your neighbourhood.

It causes problems when there are no snakes and you work in a garden hose shop.

 

[bitterfight_]

I've never thought of them in that way... Interesting..

 

[Meadowsweet]

In life triggers are probably defence mechanisms, like @Sighs says, you tread on a snake once and your brain processes that pain etc so that you are reminded of it if ever you come across the snake again.

But in PTSD I thought it was more about triggering the memory. During normal life experience, a memory is processed and gets filed in the part of the brain marked "the past", so you might be reminded of the snake incident enough to avoid the snake next time.

if the memory is traumatic, you're not reminded of, but actually relive the incident as if it was happening right now. This is because traumatic memories remain un-processed within the brain. A trigger in this case, doesn't remind you of the incident, as a defence mechanism, it re-lives the incident as way of trying to process what is happening in the present.

 

[GWhizz]

@Meadowsweet that makes a lot of sense. I know that when I was young and experiencing trauma, I dissociated a lot and that that was part of a defense mechanism. Whereas recently, certain triggers have caused me to remember these incidents in flashbacks, nightmares etc. Basically my brain's now trying to deal with and process it all.

It's quite confusing though and a really good question. It leads me to the debate as to whether it's a good idea to try to avoid/minimise triggers, or to actually gently begin to allow the brain to process things. For example, my partner always wakes me during nightmares and sometimes I feel that maybe if I just saw it through and didn't fight it, it may allow my brain to process it and the nightmares may begin to diminish somewhat, as waking me certainly doesn't prevent their reoccurring

 

[mamachick]

Good question, and I dont know the answer. I have a 26 yr old daughter that has physically abused me 3 times when she gets very angry, but has been verbally and psychologicaly abusive for over 10 yrs. I hit my limit about a year ago. Instead of trying reasonable talk when be screamed at or controlled or being told what a piece of shit I am and all my shortcomings, I began striking back. I feel triggered and short tempered myself, and have gone for her juggler. Things have come out of my mouth that I cant believe-like I am another person. While I am ashamed of my reaction, and my reaction becomes out of control (verbally, never physically, but I have a tongue like a snake and I cant let it go for hours or days. Its like I am in another world.

In this past year, I have also gone off on a couple other people where I am completely out of control verbally. I am so broke (mentally, psychologically, emotionally, physically, and financially) that I snap-seems like a defense mechanism for self preservation. I cannot be called one more name, ruthlessly criticized, told what to do, how to think, what is wrong with me, lied about and lied to-and the devil comes out. The longer I let the abuse go on, the longer I abuse back after they have backed off. I experience an extreme fear of sorts during these times as well, the fear is dependent on the situation. I question if it is a psychotic episode because the reality is almost lost in the defensiveness. Very unlike the person I was prior to ptsd who would just walk away. I am hyperfocused on criticizing the other person even in a lengthy text. Then I snap out of it and the reality of their abuse returns and I realize that no matter how much I insult them, it just doesnt matter and wont change anything.

 

[Laura 2]

if the memory is traumatic, you're not reminded of, but actually relive the incident as if it was happening right now. This is because traumatic memories remain un-processed within the brain. A trigger in this case, doesn't remind you of the incident, as a defence mechanism, it re-lives the incident as way of trying to process what is happening in the present.

Thanks @Meadowsweet , this is a clear and concise explanation which I can identify with.

Taking it a bit further, I wonder if there's also an element of brain/mind being so shocked that it simply refuses to process (whatever that means and entails) the horrific events?

The thing is that when I'm in my most here-and-now, grounded moments and I think back over what's been inflicted on me I am gobsmacked even now. My rational, healthy mind - the one that worked so successfully for me Before Trauma so I know it's trustworthy and accurate - just cannot reconcile all the sheer insanity and irrationality of others (including our authorities) that has contributed to my PTSD.

Sorry, I don't know where I'm going with all this, but it's come up in response to your observations and the OP's questioning. So I'm just wondering if this is another dimension to the whole 'trigger complex'...?

 

[Fadeaway]

I read a story once where a flashback did save a firefighters life. He had a flashback of being in a back draft while in a burning building. He responded as if one was happening and ran out of the building. Shortly after he was out of the building a back draft did occur. This is the only time I have heard of a flashback being beneficial.

@Laura 2 I think that makes sense to say that the brain refuses to processes it, yet at the same time it seems like it is trying nonstop to processes it and just doesn't know how or what to do with it. I think in some ways my brain maybe is trying to processes it, like through the nightmares and other symptoms but it is stuck and doesn't know what to do.

 

[RussH]

For example, my partner always wakes me during nightmares and sometimes I feel that maybe if I just saw it through and didn't fight it, it may allow my brain to process it and the nightmares may begin to diminish somewhat, as waking me certainly doesn't prevent their reoccurring

I don't know that allowing the nightmare to play itself out would be a good idea; not without trained professionals there to monitor it. Our brains can produce false memories, and if the nightmares are allowed to continue you could end up with a lot of these false memories.

 

[RussH]

The part of the brain that does this is the amygdala - a pretty primitive part of the brain that reacts very very quickly and puts your body into instant 'fight or flight' mode. It's a very useful survival mechanism, particularly if there are lots of snakes in your neighbourhood.

I do really like this analogy. I think there is a lot of truth to your answer and to what @Meadowsweet said about the memory being un processed. So this would be the combination of the two. One day you are walking through the woods and come across a snake. It bites you. You come near to death and the trauma of it all produces PTSD in you.

Five years later you are walking through a garden, and you see a black hose. Your brain instantly recognizes it as a threat, and tries to connect to the memory so you will "flight" from the danger. Unfortuntely, the memory of the original insult has not been processed properly so instead of being a past memory it has become a perpetual present day event. When your brain connects to this "memory" you become triggered and have a flashback. Does this make sense?

If this is how it works, now how to fix it.