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Triggers that down you. Triggers that lift you

white knight
Community Champion
Community Champion

How often have we felt those triggers snap us into depression? Down we go. A workplace bully only has to smirk at us. A bit of sad news. A red letter from a bill we've missed. A piece of gossip about us that reaches our ears. For many of us our trigger is unavoidable and I don't think there is much we guilt ridden over sensitive types can do about it. There are some things that medication cant control and psychiatrist session cant solve except a mental bandaid that might make us feel better until the next trigger. So if triggers that cause our emotional drop cant be stopped or lessened what can we do about them? Is there a counter measure? If the negative trigger is on one side of a weighing scale what can we put on the other side to at least try to give a balance?

Well in my view its not unlike positive motivation but in a different sense. What I've tried to do, and in most cases succeeded, is to lock onto quotes. My daughter has anxiety and it peaked last year. She attended a psychologist for one session only, she believed she would need many sessions and extended visits. after her session she rang me and told me she wouldn't be attending anymore. She said that the professional told her that her reactions about elements of her childhood were typical reactions for a child in her circumstance. That at 12yo to leave her mothers home and live with her father (me) and for her mother to disown her for such a move was bound to create many mixed and hurtful feelings. She told me she felt that his comment triggered her in a way that she found the answer to the whole problem. "I'm right now dad" she said.

Similar things have occurred to me over the decades. Once I fought corruption on a small scale at a local council. I was one of their employees. It confused me. I asked my doctor why the mayor acted the way he has, grandstanding and manipulating the facts - "power Tony, its a lust for power". That was the positive trigger I needed. There was no other need to delve into the smaller details. "Power" covered it all.

Reading through some of the threads here has found many more. Posters quote other posters because they "hit the nail on the head" as they say.

Can you, the one that falls mentally down the well of despair, use positive quotes, phrases from others to build a stairway back up?

We have a "quotes" thread here to. Ones that I have found so helpful from the likes of Churchill, Ghandi and so on

Try to focus on these. It might help.

Tony WK

84 Replies 84

Hi ladies

Im feeling better. We are in the Wimmera west of the state. We thought we'd be the only caravan in a small free camp and it was full!. They are a group on a silo mural tour, looking at painted silos.

Thankyou very much.

Tony WK

Hello Tony,

I hope your spirits continue to lift during your awesome-sounding trip away with your lovely wife.

I hope also that you use this space to express your feelings, or to reach out for support and understanding here. We care about you, and will always want to lend a friendly hand on your arm and a gentle, compassionate listening ear.

Go gently Tony WK.

🌻birdy

Ggrand
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello Tony..

Im sorry that you are not doing to well, and struggling with BP downers...

I hope you are enjoying your little holiday.. I know how much you and mrs WhiteKnight enjoy your caravan, and vintage car..MI have never been caravaning, but I have been told it is a good way to holiday...as you can park in a new spot daily..

The stress of selling, moving and then building your own house would be so stressful Tony, please remember to breathe and look after yourself and mind health daily..

Sit back one afternoon with Mrs WhiteKnight, have a glass of whatever you both like, rest, breath, move your chairs to the best position you can, then sit back and holding hands watch the best show that Mother Nature can give us.. watch the beauty of the sunset Tony, while your watching the sunset and disappear behind the horizon, please release your stress, your depression..imagine them dissapearing with the sun, a day has finished, your struggles have also finished, gone away with the sun that day..

Then in the morning, Tony turn your chairs around and watch the absolutely glorious start of a new day, the golden glow as the sunrises, the clouds with silver around them..You witnessed a brand new day Tony, and also a brand new start of your life as well..Everyday is the start of the rest of our lives..Everyday is special..

Enjoy today, when you to stressed to drive or feeling down. Pull over stand outside, .stand barefoot, (if it's safe). look around, see the mountains, the horizon, feel the warmth of the sun absorbing into you skin, but at the same time feel the cool breeze as it also passes across your body..smell the freshness of the air, as you pick up a flower, rock or a stone and feel it in your hands as you take in your surroundings.. live in the now. Enjoy the present..

Tony, I really do hope you day is a good day. Remember we are here for you as you have been for me/us... You really do have a lot of people that do love/like you, You are very special and important to a lot of people here, you are caring, kind, gentle and you've always caught the hands that have reached out for help.. let us catch and hold your hand as we help you back up and guide you back up. Always here for you Tony..

Big Warm and caring hugs Tony..❤️

Love,

Karen..

Birdy77
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Thinking of you Tony,

Hoping you are taking great care of yourself.

Please reach out for support when you need it, we all care for you.

Be very gentle with you.

🌻birdy

Ggrand
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello Tony..

I hope you are okay...

just sending a little warmth out of my heart to help you feel better and to let you know that I'm thinking of you..

Big squishy hugs..🤗🤗🤗🦅🦅..

Be Kind to yourself Tony, Please..💜🌹.

Karen....Grandy. xx

Ggrand
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello Tony..

I just thought I would call in and check in on you and Rudolf,, I have a carrot 🥕 for Rudolf and a 🌹 with a little 💜..I hope you are okay.

Thinking of you...Take care of each other. xx

Love, Grandy. xx

Ggrand
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello Tony,🌹

I just wanted to pop in and hopefully you are reading this occasionally and I'm hoping that this is your go to thread..

I am here to ask you... are you okay?..

Its been nearly 3 weeks since you last posted here, and I am concerned about you and how your going as well as missing you ( 😊 I'm blushing now)..Tony you have been a big part of my life since you joined me on my journeys and have helped me so many times that Ive lost count...I cannot just forget about you, it's really hard to do that and I don't want to do that when someone impacts on my life the way you have on mine..

What I'm trying to say is...I hope you are okay, and I hope that when you feel up to it, you could just let me know how you and Rudolf (of course) are doing..

Love and kind thoughts with big caring hugs🤗🤗.

Grandy......Karen💜.

Ggrand
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello Tony..

R U Ok?

Ive been thinking about you and missing you Tony, and as you do know me a little. I'm worried about you as well.

You haven't posted anywhere here since the 4/5. That's nearly a month. . 💜..

Its hard not knowing if you are okay, or if your sick, or I don't know..just concerned...😢

Take care of you Tony please...

Love xx Grandy....Karen..

Hi Ggrand,

We can see you've left a number of messages in here for white knight over the past few weeks.  Please remember that members are encouraged to respond here only when they feel able to, and multiple messages can place undue pressure on those who are struggling.  It's also the nature of an online, anonymous space like this that members will come and go, and sometimes you won't have closure on how someone is doing. We understand this can be upsetting, so we've prepared this thread to discuss issues of looking after ourselves while supporting others

Going back to the original post, and particularly for those newer members who may be reading, this is a thread for the discussion of how to manage triggers.  From white knight's original post:
So if triggers that cause our emotional drop cant be stopped or lessened what can we do about them? Is there a counter measure? If the negative trigger is on one side of a weighing scale what can we put on the other side to at least try to give a balance?

What is "trigger balance"?

In my original post and mentioned by Sophie above, it is indesputable we need an offset to the weight on our shoulders from negative triggers. In my world I put it down to excitement.

The adrenalin I get from being excited is like a blanket over a fire- snuffed out immediately.

Eg we go caravanning. This happens 4 or 5 times a year from 3 days up to 3 months. When the trip is approaching the planning stage the excitement can over ride the trigger I got the previous day-what was that trigger? Well it was when I rang a courier vomptany over a parcel and couldnt speak to a human being - you know the feeling.

So for you it could be something else.

What snuffs out your triggers? Please tell us

TonyWK