Understanding Triggers

Triggers are anything that might cause you to recall a traumatic or an emotional experience you’ve had at any point in your life. A more obvious trigger would be if you were hurt by someone, seeing them may “trigger” you.  Other examples of triggers can include places, family friction, being judged or criticized, being reminded of someone you loved and lost, songs, smells, the weather, or even colors, which can be triggers. The list goes on and on… 

Knowing what your emotional triggers are and how to deal with them is a key component of good emotional health. It is important to learn how to recognize our own triggers, discuss with our spouses or loved ones (the word “spouse” may be a trigger for some) what their triggers are, and explore how to help our children learn more about their triggers. 

The next step after the awareness is understanding how to manage the feelings appropriately, once we’re already “triggered” and emotionally charged. Validating and normalizing these feelings for yourself and for others offers a true healing experience.  

 But it all begins with recognizing our own… 

To learn more about Triggers and how to manage them, and how to best understand ourselves and our families in general, feel free to reach out.