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 trigger, for example, is the trigger that causes drug users to use drugs or have a relapse after a period of sobriety. Research on drug users shows that objects, spaces, people, events and even memories can cause them to start using drugs again anyway.
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 addiction to be triggered. People with borderline personality or other mental problems may also have a trigger for their "mental problem." For example, people with borderline may become triggered by rejection, when they get offended, when they get disappointed, when their idea of themselves is threatened, when they are in a boring situation or when they are alone[3].
Sometimes you may also suffer from using risky behaviors to improve your mood, or just for coping with negative feelings. Yes, this can be drugs, but it can also be sex with a stranger, hard driving or anything else that is exciting. Stress, depressive feelings and anxiety can then trigger this type of behavior[4].
Also, you may suffer from negative repetitive thoughts. These are not fun at all. These are often triggered when you fail to achieve personal goals or live by your values, such as when you fail a test[5].
Not to mention triggers of panic attacks and the like, but I suppose 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 is very appealing to avoid triggers, but if this causes you to have nowhere to go then it is not a solution. Therefore, it is important to change precisely how you deal with triggers so that this causes you to avoid unwanted triggered behaviors or problems[6] and not suffer from anxiety if 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
When you have experienced something traumatic , or lost someone in an accident, it is helpful to first also be well-informed about what actually happened. However, if you stay preoccupied with this, it can again be psychologically detrimental to 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 the process, trauma may also have become part of your identity[11]. Letting go of the trauma can then feel like letting go of your identity. With hypnosis, you not only get help to let go of the trauma, but also to be able to fill in 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].
With hypnosis, we also call this 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 helpful. Sign up for our free master class.
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Also pin this handy infographic:
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