What Happens When You Are Triggered?

[Mina]

Dylan, your post really helped me as well. My husband and I have been talking a lot lately about how my "lizard" brain responds to things, which seems to be helping both of us deal. To read about it as you wrote it really makes it that much clearer and easier to understand. Thank you!! :thumbs-up

 

[Flower]

When I get triggered I lose rational thought. There are lots of racing thoughts, and I usually appear a little manic, but skittish. Either i don't talk at all or, if forced to, i blather incoherently in metaphors about what is going on in my brain. That usually freaks people out around me, but is sometimes funny in retrospect. Most of the time i dissociate and watch myself be crazy or awkward in the social situation. I'm too afraid to tell those around me what is going on.

The physical side of it is more difficult for me to describe. I breathe faster, my heart races. I sweat through everything I have on. I fidget and close myself into a room. lock doors, windows, shut blinds, get my baseball bat even though I know nothing in coming after me anymore.

 

[blackdove]

Yes I agree with trying to find a good talk therapist. A good therapist, I think, should be able to make you feel like they are there helping you on your shoulder in between sessions. At least that's what I am starting to experience even though I am quite scared of therapy.

One thing I have learned that is quite helpful is something my therapist did which I have copied. She asked herself during a session, "how am I feeling? I'm not sure how I'm feeling but I'm feeling something. What am I feeling?" At the time I thought it was really weird but I actually did it to myself today when I was able to get a second to recognize that I had been triggered.

I just asked myself those questions and then I think it helped me to step back for just long enough to snap out of it. Don't know if I can repeat it but for me, being triggered is having absolutely no control with certain parts of the world and so asking a few questions can be a good way to just stop things and pause and gain perspective. Just a thought that might help you.

 

[Freddy_hiding_less]

Thank You Dylan! For giving me this dense reminder, it just covers what I've gathered over the last 25 years, and what I tend to forget or even oppose when life is extra challenging. I will print it out and keep it with me for the time being.

/Freddy

 

[Dylan]

Hey BlueSkies, Mina, Freddy -

Glad it helped! It does seem that the more ammunition I give my neocortex, the quicker I recover from a "hijacking" (when my amygdala hijacks my neocortex, heh heh).

-Dylan

 

[macpayne]

I've been writing for a while on here and am still in moderation... hopefully this reaches the post..
I work in a jail and although have worked vigarously, still get triggered once in a while. My anxiety levels reach an all time high and I don't think clearly. I am so overwhelmed with memories I can't focus. I usually cry on a dime and become extremely exhausted. The journey for me is recognizing when this happens and dealing with it. I do alot of self talk and work at keeping myself from being traumatized all over again!