No, really I have read so many people using the word so differently, I wanna know what´s actually supposed to mean. Somewhat realated, is the badfeel when I´m not yet feeling like I can´t breathe but getting there a reaction to a trigger? It does happen in reaction to certain words/events which are distressing.
I don't know how to use that word properly but I do know what it feels like. There are some things for me that get instant flinch-do-not reactions. I think I already posted about the word "pleadings" which is really dumb but I did gag and have flashbacks for quite a long time after I heard I'd have to do it again, and I know it's a trauma thing. The other thing is the name/old URL/old initials of URL of my emotional abuser over Tumblr, it's an instant oh-fuck-oh-fuck-nausea-oh-fuck-i'm-not-safe reaction, again due to trauma. Are these stupid? Well, I know they're not common. But trauma is always individual, so calling it stupid is sort of missing the mark. I just think it's really... I guess academically-sad is the right turn of phrase maybe? Because I know there are some triggers that are widely accepted as being triggers, and it's because people have trauma that looks the same and it makes them avoid those common triggers. (Think #tw: noncon, #tw: dubcon, #tw: rape, #tw: child abuse, #tw: child sexual abuse, #tw: cult, #tw: self injury, #tw: suicide, #tw: death.) And it just makes me upset on this I can't spare spoons for it level that so many people have been affected by these things that sldfkjsdlf I don't know how to words about it but I do a sad. Of course, then there's also the only tag on my blog with a tw: in front of it, and it's #tw: epilepsy. Flashy GIFs can make some people do anything from an eyehurt to a nausea to a migraine to a seizure. Is this a "trigger"? Well, the sight of it does trigger an instantaneous physical reaction I guess? That qualifies IMO. So basically for me trigger is "anything that induces an instant unpleasant involuntary physical reaction" but I know that's not how a lot of people see it and I don't even know if that definition makes sense.
my understanding of triggers varies depending on the effects. now hang on while i get my thoughts together. The person I know with the most physically-/mentally-intrusive triggers suffers from complex PTSD stemming from a whole load of incredibly awful trauma. for her, a trigger can trigger (heh) a full flashback/fugue state, or it can trigger anxiety spikes/other instant physical reactions, or it can trigger a depression spiral. these triggers can be tones of voice, body language, the sound of a door at night. sometimes they're easier to deal with, sometimes they're a lot worse. I also know someone who suffers from epilepsy, much like @pixels mentioned. He's had to deal with seizures from very young childhood, if I recall correctly. I don't know if there are any triggers that are particularly bad for him, but I do know that flashing images can indeed trigger a seizure. I think certain other stressors may also be triggers, but I'm not as familiar with his situation because he is a long-distance friend. For my part, there are some behaviours that can trigger depression/anxiety spikes. Mostly they are conditioned from poor conflict resolution skills in family relations: i.e., if someone is getting angry, I have to shut down and placate, and it's my fault, it's all my fault, don't cry, just placate and crawl away as soon as you can. My triggers are usually conflict-related - tone of voice, choice of words, body language, speaking volume. I also know someone who can't stand to read or hear about anything to do with certain subjects - abortion, sexual abuse, etc. It makes her very uneasy and she either exits the conversation quickly or clams up. She is frequently very distressed afterwards and will often cry. So. what's a trigger. good question. I definitely second what pixels said about the more widespread/commonly-experienced traumas that lead to trigger situations (rape, suicide, csa) - and these, from my tangential experience, can extend to related things like needles, blades/weapons, blood/gore, body horror. I also think pixels' basic definition of "anything that induces an instant involuntary physical reaction" works quite well, though sometimes it may not be a visible physical reaction (depression/anxiety/flashback - all physical things, but considered to be largely mental in function). I think that the focus is, and rightfully so, usually on the very serious triggers associated with physical ailments (i.e. epilepsy) and mental illnesses (i.e. PTSD), where a person is very likely to be completely/severely incapacitated immediately upon triggering. I will always remember what is likely to trigger my friend with PTSD because fuck if I want her incapacitated by a flashback and then unable to sleep for a day. Just, no. Nor will I send my friend with epilepsy a flashing gif. Like. No. On the other hand, if I'm triggered somehow in conversation with someone, I could very well end up with zero spoons and a complete loss of my day. However, I'm not about to ask people to monitor their tones of voice and body language when conversing with me (unless they're within my inner circle and I can explain): that would be silly. Instead, I have put extra work into rewiring those triggers. The triggers for epilepsy, of course, are not so easily rewired. Some mental illness-related triggers can be worked on - but some triggers will be around for a really, really long time. Yeesh, I don't know what point I was trying to make here. Take it all as anecdata I guess. >_<;; late-night Kay cannot brain. @littlemissCodeless - that definitely sounds like a triggered reaction to me, especially if it's in relation to something happening to you. (like - if you get pollen up your nose and you're allergic, it triggers an allergic reaction, but obviously that's not what we're talking about XD)
I'd like to add - "epilepsy" is not a good warning for flashing lights / GIFs - there are a LOT of us who are not epileptic that cannot handle flashing lights or fast moving colors. It's better to tag warnings if you are tagging with what the thing is rather than the reason it might be a trigger. So "flashing gif" rather than "epilepsy" (particularly since epileptics who aren't triggered by flashing will be annoyed by the generalization).
To add - it is a trigger (the flashing gif thing) for me because it "triggers" instant rage - I have no reason for it, but flashing lights, moving colors, etc, hurt my head in ways that make me extremely angry at (?). Just super rage, and anger always leads to tantrum or meltdown for me since the part of my brain that should mediate that response doesn't function (it took a vacation when I was born, got terminated when I hit my head on a marble floor).
I get fucking pissed off every time I see an epilepsy warning because I'm not one of the types triggered by the flashing lights. So. Fucking. Pissed.
So I have only two items that I really count as triggers. Both relate very closely to my personal experience and are almost impossible to properly warn for because the common tags: abuse, body horror/dysphoria don't really trigger a response in 99.9% of cases. The first is things that appear to blame victims of abuse who manage to walk away from the relationship. I discovered this in therapy after talking about the instantaneous rage I had after seeing some comic/comment on Tumblr. I was shaking angry. Had to go rage clean my kitchen before I calmed enough to write some semi-coherent criticism. But there's no real way for anyone to tag for that cause it isn't just abuse its the specifics of my case that angers me. The other has to do with stuff related to afab bodies, pregnancy, etc. But only in the very specific case that matches my lived experience which almost never comes up. This tends to be more of the "Nope! Burn it with fire!" anxiety response than anger.
