Triggers

[Jimmy1]

- Hearing the words "Allahu Akbar.....
- Hearing people speak Pashto/Dari/Arabic
- Hearing Muslim calls to prayer
- Seeing Hadji's with prayer caps on
- Hearing helicopters close overhead
- Hearing fireworks/ anything that resembles gunfire or an explosion...
- The smell of copper reminds me of large amounts of blood
- Being in direct heat for more than about fifteen minutes
- The smell of burning skin/hair/clothing
- Loud car or other doors slamming
- Bright flashes of light (strobes etc..)
- Flares
- When someone yells or gets aggressive with me
- People cutting me off in traffic/blowing horns
- Crowds of greater than ten or so
- Being grabbed or touched on my back when unexpected
- The smell of gunpowder, etc.. when Im not at the range
- The smell of burning tires, vomit, diesel fuel.

Spc. Dave

Dave, a lot of what is on that list will diminish with time, like the Muslim prayer calls, people talking Arabic, strobes, flares, only if you work on them with your therapist. Make sure you take this list in to them.
A lot of it is about exposing yourself to the particular thing then telling yourself that it is ok and you are safe, usually done by grounding yourself. This is done slowly and takes time and it will not always work. There will be days when your cup will be that full that you should stay at home, that is the nature of the beast.
But if you have been home for more than a year and you are still sensitive every time you see or hear anything on that list, then you need to get help because you will be a ticking time bomb.

Just my opinion

 

[Afghanmadman52nd]

Thanks buddy,

Spc Dave

 

[Sludge]

Yup. It takes time and effort. Hell, I was the guy that geeked every time he heard someone speaking Espanol....and yet I married a Mexican gal...

 

[Sarg]

Oh, dear god! I'd gain 80 pounds instantly if I married a Mexican. The things they can do with tamales....

Sarg

 

[Sludge]

Oh, dear god! I'd gain 80 pounds instantly if I married a Mexican. The things they can do with tamales....

Sarg

Yup. I got no teeth and haven't seen my penis in a while, but I ain't hungry anymore....much...

 

[zombiemoo]

Gday Gents, for some reason I find that my triggers will change, but there is a few that have really stuck for me, like new bitumen, that looks all scorched and the smell will shut me down, and random piles of dirt etc normally results in panic. People that drive erratic or walk like they are weighted really put me violent episodes. Needless to say I don't like driving much anymore haha. Loud bangs nope I'm fine but if it has that whack/crump sound to it my week is usually over. Flight or fight.. 99% of the time it's fight for me and I'm a ginger too which I'm sure wont help HA.

Cheers.

 

[Jimmy1]

Hey Z, I had similar when I returned, and a lot of guys here will tell you that if you get the right therapy and work on your triggers they will diminish. Next time you see the random piles of dirt, stop and ground yourself, tell yourself its ok, then drive on. Do that a few times and you will eventually be able to get out and walk around with no problem. Mind you, it could take months, everyone is different.

The worst thing anybody can do is to steer clear of their so called triggers totally, by doing that you just make for a very bad day eventually. I stayed away from fireworks for six years. Last year I went to the kiddies fireworks. The first step is the hardest.

Some things we won't know are triggers, they might not appear for years and years and one day we will be put into a flat spin and not know why. Luckily if we have done therapy we will even the playing field and when we dissect what has happened, we will find the trigger that has been hiding all these years.

Just a thought.