Recognizing and managing trauma triggers

A trauma trigger can be anything that reminds you of a traumatic experience and brings back intense emotions, physical sensations, or distressing memories. These triggers can seem to come out of nowhere. They may disrupt your day and make it challenging to feel safe or grounded. For many people, trauma triggers are a natural part of living with the aftereffects of a traumatic event — but they don’t have to control your life.

Whether it’s a sound, smell, place, or even a passing thought, understanding what triggers you and why is the first step toward regaining a sense of safety. Recognizing your triggers can also help you develop tools to manage these responses and build resilience over time.

It’s important to remember that help is available. With the right strategies and professional support, you can heal from the effects of trauma and learn to manage its impact on your life. 

What does a trauma trigger feel like?

A trauma trigger can feel different for each person who experiences it. In general, it’s when the symptoms of traumatic stress appear suddenly, even if you were just feeling fine. Being triggered by a past trauma can be temporary, but these triggers can also lead to lasting reactions that go on for days, months, or even years.

A trauma trigger can lead to several common post-traumatic symptoms, such as:

• Flashbacks: Re-experiencing the traumatic event is a core symptom of PTSD and other trauma disorders. You might suddenly feel as if you’re back in the traumatic moment, experiencing intense visual, emotional, or sensory memories. These can vary in intensity and may feel overwhelming or disorienting.
• Nightmares: Re-experiencing can also take the form of nightmares while you’re asleep. You might be triggered by a reminder of your trauma during the day but push those emotions down while you’re awake. At night, those memories could manifest as nightmares.
• Hypervigilance: Hypervigilance is a symptom of PTSD that causes you to feel overly aware of your surroundings. You might find yourself scanning the room for potential dangers or looking for an exit. If you face a trauma trigger, you could feel like this even if there’s no danger present.
• Irritability and angry outbursts: After trauma, you may also experience difficulties regulating your emotions. If you encounter a trauma trigger, you might find yourself being more emotional or irritable than usual. You may even lash out in anger at the people you love, even if this isn’t typical for you.
• Depressed mood: Even though depression is a separate mental health condition from trauma disorders, they’re highly linked. You might find yourself falling into a depressive episode, experiencing symptoms like lack of energy, a sad mood, or not being able to feel pleasure or interest in enjoyable activities.
• Sleep difficulties: Research shows that the vast majority of people who’ve experienced trauma report having sleep difficulties. Even if you don’t experience nightmares, you could have other types of problems sleeping, like insomnia or the inability to fall or stay asleep.

What can trigger a trauma reaction?

Trauma triggers are as unique as traumatic experiences themselves. They can be anything that reminds you of the traumatic memory. 

For example, common triggers include seeing a person who was involved in the trauma or revisiting the scene where the traumatic event took place. But trauma triggers can also be more subtle, like smelling a scent or hearing a song that reminds you of the traumatic event.

Some examples of what trauma triggers can look like include:

• Specific people or places
• Certain smells or sounds
• The anniversary of the traumatic event
• Situations that remind you of the trauma (like a dark alley or loud arguments)

How to pinpoint what’s triggering you

Trauma triggers can sometimes be so subtle that it’s hard to identify them. For example, you might expect to feel triggered if you have to come face to face with a person who abused you. But other triggers, like certain scents or sounds, can be so subtle and jarring that you may not even realize what exactly triggered your emotional reaction.

Without noticing trauma triggers, you can’t take the steps to deal with your reactions. To be more aware of your triggers, try the following tips:

• Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is a helpful practice that has been found to improve focus and decrease stress. In addition, implementing a regular mindfulness practice can help you become more aware of your present experiences. This can help you recognize when a trauma trigger is affecting you and respond more effectively
• Write about it. If you notice yourself having emotional reactions that are out of the ordinary for you, try writing in a journal about it. Write about the moment when these emotions started. What happened? Who did you see? Was there anything that could have triggered a post-traumatic reaction for you? Journaling can help you process your emotions and recognize potential patterns or triggers over time.
• Ask for loved ones’ help. Sometimes, we may not even notice that you’re triggered, but that doesn’t mean others won’t. For example, loved ones might notice that you’re more irritable than usual or that you’ve been withdrawing socially. Ask your loved ones to point out when you’re behaving differently than usual. Take these opportunities to reflect on what may have triggered you and whether you might be experiencing a post-traumatic reaction.

Self-help tips for calming down when triggered

The first step to dealing with trauma triggers is to learn how to notice them. But there are also things you can do to manage these triggers and calm yourself down when you’re experiencing a reaction.

Avoid triggers (temporarily)

Avoiding triggers can be a helpful short-term strategy in trauma recovery, especially in the early stages. However, it’s important to use this approach cautiously, as avoidance is also a symptom of PTSD. Chronically avoiding all reminders of your trauma can reinforce anxiety and make healing more difficult. 

That said, creating space from certain people, places, or things that are especially distressing — like distancing yourself from a family member who caused harm — can be a healthy and necessary step as you work toward improving your well-being.

Avoid substance use

Trauma triggers can make you feel more tempted to drink or use other substances to cope. But substance use typically only makes these emotional post-traumatic reactions worse. If you’re facing a trigger, try to avoid substances and use healthier coping strategies to manage your emotions.

Reach out

Having a strong social support network is crucial when you’re healing from trauma. Identify people who make you feel emotionally safe, and share ways they can support you. For example, they may be more likely to notice when you’re feeling withdrawn or irritable. Getting professional support can also be essential when you’re recovering from trauma.

Get moving

Physical exercise has been found to be helpful for PTSD, as well as other mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Being active can reduce stress hormones and help release pent-up emotions. Activities like yoga or walking can also help ground you in the present moment, fostering a sense of calm and connection to the here and now.

Breathe

Breathing techniques are one of the most effective grounding tools for trauma triggers. Try deep belly breathing, where you inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, and then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. Repeat this process until you feel more grounded.

Exploring treatment options for trauma recovery

While you may be able to manage trauma triggers on your own in the moment, many people benefit from professional mental health therapy when dealing with the aftereffects of trauma. Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event goes on to develop symptoms of PTSD, but, regardless of your official diagnosis, a therapist can help you process the memories and emotions of what happened and learn new ways to deal with triggers moving forward.

Some of the most effective treatment options for trauma include:

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): A therapy that uses guided eye movements to help people reprocess traumatic memories and reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories.
• Somatic experiencing: A body-focused therapy to release stored trauma and tension to promote healing.
• Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT): A structured approach that helps people process trauma and build healthier thought patterns and coping skills.
• Group therapy: A supportive environment to share experiences and learn from others who’ve been through similar challenges.

Find care with Rula

If trauma triggers are affecting your life, help is available. Therapy can provide the tools and support you need to heal from what happened and move forward. Rula has helped hundreds of thousands of patients find affordable, quality, in-network therapy. Meet with a trauma therapist as soon as tomorrow.

Get started with Rula today