What is a trigger?

A trigger is basically the part of a gun that you press that makes it go off. Psychologically, a trigger is an event that causes a person to "go off." A trigger creates a certain feeling, such as fear, anger or even joy.

What triggers exist?

In life you can have all kinds of triggers and sometimes they help you move forward, but most of the time triggers are things that actually cause awkward behavior.

Triggers can be things other people say or do, or certain situations you encounter in life.

For example, some people find it difficult to wait somewhere, to be in a crowded room or to suffer from hunger pangs. This can then cause them to get angry. This is why some supermarkets, for example, find it important to have a maximum number of people in the checkout line. Not only because they do not want people to get angry, but also because they know that people may feel embarrassed after such a tantrum and then not want to store in that supermarket again[1].

Another example of a trigger is the one that causes drug users to start using drugs or to relapse after a period of sobriety. Research among drug users shows that objects, places, people, events, and even memories can cause them to start using drugs again.

For example, this is why rehab is often quite easy as long as you are away from your old environment[2]. So away from " friends" and places where you use drugs, but then when you get back home and your "friends" contact you, it can still be difficult to leave the drugs. Then the trigger has not been handled properly during drug withdrawal.

You don’t have to suffer from anger or an addiction to be triggered. People with borderline personality disorder or other mental health issues may also have a trigger for their “mental health issue.” For example, people with borderline personality disorder can be triggered by rejection, when they are insulted, when they are disappointed, when their self-image is threatened, when they are in a boring situation, or when they are alone[3].

Sometimes you may also find yourself engaging in risky behavior to improve your mood or, conversely, to cope with negative feelings. Yes, this could involve drugs, but it could also be sex with a stranger, reckless driving, or anything else that’s thrilling. Stress, feelings of depression, and anxiety can trigger this type of behavior[4].

You may also struggle with negative, recurring thoughts. That’s no fun at all. These thoughts are often triggered when you don’t achieve your personal goals or don’t live up to your values—such as when you fail a test[5].

And we haven’t even gotten to triggers for panic attacks and the like, but I assume the point of what a trigger is and what effects it can have is clear now.

Especially because of the negative effects, it is helpful to become aware of your triggers so you can better deal with them.

Dealing with triggers

The way you deal with triggers, in turn, also affects your emotions. There are ways that make you feel better emotionally, but unfortunately, there are also ways to deal with triggers that actually make you feel worse emotionally.

It’s very tempting to avoid triggers, but if that means you can’t go anywhere anymore, then that’s not a solution. It is therefore important to change how you deal with triggers so that you do not experience unwanted triggered behavior or problems[6] and do not suffer from anxiety when you cannot avoid a trigger[7].

What you do when you deal with triggers, and therefore don't avoid them, is that you then begin to evaluate your initial reaction to the trigger, so to speak, whether you can't deal with it in another way.

Adapting to the trigger and your response to it is, also according to other research and in other situations, such as illness, a wise way to deal with triggers[8].

For example, if you are stressed, you can fight the stressful situation, ignore it, seek support from friends and family, control yourself (such as with calming techniques), reframe the problem, accept that the problem is what it is (and even that you are responsible for it), and immediately figure out how you are going to solve it.

You get better emotions when you reframe the problems (the trigger) or start thinking about how to solve the problem. This is good for your self-confidence, for example.

Confronting (especially with a trigger person) and avoiding the trigger often actually creates more negative emotions (source 7).

Also, finding social support, especially if you are a bit older, when stressful situations trigger, can help you feel better (source 7).

Dealing with triggers in trauma

If you’ve experienced something traumatic or lost someone in an accident, it’s helpful to first be well-informed about what actually happened. However, if you dwell on this, it can have a negative psychological impact on you[9].

Another thing that is tempting to do when suffering from a traumatic event is that you want to suppress the very memory of it. Every time something reminds you of it, you say "no" to your memory, so to speak.

The annoying thing about this is that it can have the opposite effect, making you think about it more often than if you didn't suppress it. It is more convenient to actually do something with that memory. This is also something hypnosis can support you in[10].

In fact, many hypnotherapy techniques actually use your memory and imagination to see your memory in a different way.

In addition, the trauma may have become part of your identity[11]. Letting go of the trauma can then feel like letting go of your identity. Hypnosis not only helps you let go of the trauma but also helps you define your identity without the trauma playing a role.

Dealing with triggers in a relationship

Triggers in a relationship are often not helpful at all, because before you know it, you get into an argument. One way to deal with triggers is to distance yourself when you notice you are getting triggered.

Ask yourself why this actually triggers you, so you can get to the root cause of your trigger.

Who knows, it may not even have anything to do with your partner, but rather with experiences you had earlier in life.

If your partner just got triggered, observe your partner's behavior and try to find a pattern of what the trigger actually is. Also with your partner, you can ask what is actually causing this and whether he/she has felt this at other times in his/her life.

You can also conduct a social panorama with a hypnotherapist. That way you can find out for yourself what place you put your partner in and whether putting your partner in a different place helps change the trigger.

Using triggers positively

Research shows that even very small signals picked up almost exclusively by your subconscious can trigger certain behaviors. Fortunately, something can be done about this by creating a trigger yourself, giving you more control over your behavior[12].

In hypnosis, this is also referred to as “anchoring.”

In this case, as a hypnotherapist, you take the client to a memory of when they did something good after a certain stimulus, or you help the client to imagine it with a guided visualization.

Once this good feeling and good behavior is well established in the client's mind, have them make a movement. For example, a squeeze of the hands or a tap on the wrist. As long as it is something small and everyday that they can use in any situation.

Then, when they need this good feeling, they can then trigger themselves by making that move.

Do you want to help yourself—or others—with triggers? Then knowledge of hypnosis can be very useful. Sign up for our free masterclass.

Or join one of our training courses right away. The courses are taught live online from a professional studio.

Also pin this handy infographic:

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