Question
What are trauma triggers and what are common reactions to them?
Answer
It's essential for you as the staff and the professional to be aware of your trauma triggers. We are not immune to the effects of trauma. Also, be mindful that each new traumatic experience can be a trigger for prior ones in our own lives. Each one may also remind us of the historical trauma our people have experienced and our families have taught us about. Retraumatizing experiences can bring back a sense of danger, powerlessness, and loss of our control over defining who we are. Common examples of trauma triggers can include:
- People or places
- Times of the year or holidays
- Certain kinds of weather
- Songs
- Separations, losses, or new traumatic experiences that bring back the memories of old trauma
- Parenting or teaching a child who is the age we were at the time of our traumatic experience
- Racist statements or acts
As a result of experiencing a trauma trigger, people may have flashbacks, which are powerful memories or visions of the traumatic experience, along with feelings of fear of that moment. They can have a panic attack where the heart pounds, skin gets flushed, break into a sweat, breathe hard and fast, and feel that something terrible is about to happen. They may experience dissociation, which looks like zoning out, losing track of time, and inability to stay in the present moment. Be aware of your triggers and what may happen if you are triggered. You may not experience these responses, but it's better to prepare them. If someone has untreated trauma and hasn't processed it, one of these triggers could send them into a downward spiral.
Other common reactions to trauma triggers could include:
- Perceiving more danger than there really is—for example, when a child loses control or when a parent is angry
- Retreating into our thoughts about the trauma, becoming preoccupied with these thoughts, and having trouble staying present or thinking about anything else
- Feeling the urge to blurt out what happened to us
- Feeling like disappearing or rushing away from the immediate situation
- Pulling away from others when there is conflict—real or perceived
- Retreating into our thoughts about the trauma, becoming preoccupied with these thoughts, and having trouble staying present or thinking about anything else
- Rejecting the help we need because it is difficult for us to trust it
These are some of the things that we need to be aware of when working in a trauma-informed environment because when you're in a trauma-informed environment, you're dealing with a lot of trauma a lot of time. You must be aware of your triggers and things that may upset you. You have to be able to self-regulate.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Collective Trauma and Building a Trauma-Informed Culture, presented by Nadia Tourinho, MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C.
