Name your Trigger Points

[geoff]

Hi Everyone, interested to know what your trigger points are, and knowing the warning signs that may foreshadow a relapse, can help you to avoid it.

These may differ from day to day and in different situations but each one is important to know.

-moving house is never good for me, and that's just for starters.

All the best.

Geoff.

[Ggrand]

Hello Geoff..

This is a very important thread..thank you..

One of my trigger points is when I hear people yelling/ arguing or with raised voices at each other...using bad language heightens my trigger...

Unfortunately I have no warnings that I’m going down...I go down before I realise what’s happening to me...I avoid going out on my own as I’ve been brought down many times when I go out on my own...

My Ptsd was caused by physical, emotional and sexual abuse in my childhood and adult married life...

Triggers are around just about in everything and everywhere I go...most I can manage, some I cannot....

When there’s people around me, and all my mind is picking up the chatter of everyone around...I start to panic then I dissociate, hide inside myself, feeling trapped in a situation that is dangerous and I need to escape from....I get confused and feel like a frightened 3 year old and need to “run away”...to somewhere safe....my home...

One day dear Geoff...Hopefully we can put our PTSD to sleep and live a carefree and happy life...Without triggers putting us back in time to keep reliving our traumas...

I hope your having a good day...and enjoying the Autumn sunshine...if you have some sun...It’s a beautiful day here today..

My kindest thoughts dear Geoff..

Grandy..

[geoff]

Hello Ggrand, thank you for replying, I thought this topic might raise the attention of many people, but I may be wrong.

What you have said I totally concur with you and only wish we could protect you from this ever happening, it is most unpleasant.

Triggers may happen when we don't expect them to, or alternatively, they can slowly build up quite unexpectedly.

Always good talking with you.

Take care.

Geoff.

[Quercus]

Hi Geoff,

I'm surprised your thread hasn't been inundated with replies. It's an interesting and important topic.

I've two triggers that are pretty much guaranteed to send my mind off to a bad place.

One is people touching me when I don't know them well. I hated being pregnant and having random people just come up and touch. Yuck.

The other is being told what to do about my weight, what to eat etc. That always sends me downhill badly.

Thank you for creating this thread. I wonder what others find difficult.

[white knight]

Hi Geoff and two lovely ladies in ggrand and quercus.

A good thread Geoff.

I have triggers, bad moods, snappy reactions etc and after many years of self evaluation (bipolar) and observance from my wife we concluded 2 years ago that the extent of my triggering was directly related to how much sleep I get.

Currently on our caravan holiday triggers/moods are non existent as each afternoon I sleep for an hour or more.

Lack of sleep and too much stress is a bad recipe.

TonyWK

[Boudica]

Hi Geoff,

It is a very thoughtful topic Geoff, which likely is relevant to many. Maybe the reason not so many replies is that triggers are not that easy to talk about, and maybe people tend to avoid. Those that I still struggle with I don't really want to talk about, but I will mention one that I think I have mostly overcome now, but was an issue for me for a long time: it is when someone kind of looms over me blocking the light. eg. if I am seated lower and they are standing in front of me (if I am laying down and they are standing near me then x100)

[Boudica]

Geoff,

Re: moving house

I actually like moving house, I find it exciting! I like the sense of change and escape (I do like my home though). I also love to clean things out and organise and start fresh. I know lots of people really hate moving though.

[Harpbird]

Didn’t know wether to post here but here goes. I have a few triggers. As a 15 year old I was staying with my sister and her husband in the school holidays. This was the first time I witnessed her getting bashed by him. I was sworn to secrecy and even given a horse to keep my quiet. I was stuck there for two weeks and lived three hours away from her home. I hate conflict and arguments. My biggest red flag is like today , picking up my 6 month old grandchild and putting her in the car seat. I have to keep stopping the car and making sure she is still breathing . Then am crying all the way home reliving the loss off my grandson. Also now my daughter has gone back to work so I also have bubs all Thursday over night and till late tomorrow. I stay up in front of the telly in recliner so I can keep checking on her. I am petrified she will stop breathing in my care. It’s killing me .

[Giraffe]

My trigger points are ..

feeling like I’m getting abandoned

witnessing violence

being around people I think are narcissistic

and being alone for too long

[blondguy]

Hi Geoff

Thanks for the helpful thread!

I understand many people on and off the forums use the 'trigger' word...and good on them. Just as per my own experience after having chronic anxiety I find the 'trigger' word has a sense of 'permanence' to it... I think this is the 1st time I have used it in a post....yet its only personal preference

Moving house may be overwhelming for me...Good point there Geoff

my kind thoughts

Paul