Triggers - The Core Root Before Symptoms Are Activated

[shiraz]

Thanks Anthony, very insightful indeed and quite different to the exposure therapy my CBT therapist put me through - very much slower and well planned. I think S.A. lacks psychologists who understand PTSD; I went to the top (apparently) CBT guy in Johannesburg and well, lets just say there was a lot of re-traumatising done. I did learn some useful CBT skills through him, but exposure therapy was a real disaster.

I'll get going on this and report back as soon as I see progress.

I can see how this will work effectively.

Thanks again,
shiraz

 

[Mercy]

Thanks, Anthony, for picking a more specific trigger and for spelling out how good exposure therapy works. I have tried a few things like this to help me do the necessary driving in the fall.

First, I made a bouquet of silk flowers that matched the fall colors but I chose all Spring flowers, daffodils, tulips,etc. When I felt like the colors were going to trigger me, I would look closely at the flowers then start the car. I put them way forward on my dashboard so that I was actually seeing their reflection on the windshield. That helped some. I learned to drive safely dissociated from the panic attack. I'm not sure that was progress. The next year I bought candy chews wrapped in the same colors and flavored. So I could say to myself ,"Oh, that's what red tastes like."
I didn't make much progress with trying to change senses for some relief. Over the years, some fall triggers have been less potent and some have not.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Gamereign555]

I have have triggers when sitting down and laying down on my back or side. Since I cant avoid those triggers I just distract...but its hard with the heightened awareness issues. It makes sleeping difficult, taking a class is very hard for me too, I have to stand up and walk around and work, even driving is difficult for me and the brain activity involved isnt quite enough to distract well. Sitting as a passenger in a car can be very difficult for me because of all the activity I see going by and there is no outlet for activity beyond a hand held video game... that helps a little.

 

[Mercy]

1. I'd like to add one Feelings/Emotions My main trigger from being attacked about "being a big person doing little jobs" was humility. I became afraid of feeling it. I avoided any circumstance where I had to practice humility. Getting behind in things/ not being perfect all about humility for me. I think triggers can be feelings as well.

Maze, Your story makes perfect sense. you did a good job of letting us understand your choices.

There is a big difference between humiliation which is anything that makes another person feel shame, abandoned, or less good/ less worthy than anybody else.

Humility is about being able to help another person while putting our own needs temporarily aside. Even taking my dog for a walk is an act of humility. She's the one that has to pee outside, not me.

I hope you might be able to sift your experiences and find out what belongs under which heading. It was a great exersize for me which I need to repeat now and again. It helps me feel safer when I can separate those actions I freely choose from those that were forced on me.

 

[angel2write]

An interesting discussion with details on how to do the desensitization exactly.

I tried to do something like this a few months ago with my husband, but we backed off because it was so difficult for me. We should have kept going.

 

[Mercy]

I think I might have found a thing to do when I hear the target rages go off. I pretend that I'm watching Pinoccio in the scene where the boys have cork pop guns. When I hear the sound, I say POP - POP with each shot I hear. Silly maybe but I found can lengthen my tolerance by a few minutes, long enough to walk inside and not be in a state of terror, not be confused or disoriented, and be an adult who remembers what she is supposed to be doing next. Ta-DA!

 

[littlelion]

Reading this was really helpful to me. Thanks for posting and everybody for sharing!

I think I'm pretty easily triggered by the sounds of childhood abuse - door slamming, screaming etc. Another thing that's very triggering for me is when someone behaves/reacts in the way my abuser would... seeming like one doesn't care/cares less is really triggering for example. Just shrugging or saying "I don't know/I don't care" when there's something that I care about triggers a lot... it can be annoying too since there are plenty of these situations in my daily life and it's just so much that reminds me of it when I know it isn't any danger or anything like that in the current situation.