Exercise CAUTION when reading triggering material

Dear readers,

Some of the material in this flash blog is graphic. It might be emotionally difficult to read, especially if you are a survivor of violence. Although we wish to promote awareness, we are equally if not more concerned with your safety and well-being! Please prioritize self-care and exercise caution when reading these posts - and feel free to skip ANY and/or all if you feel they might be traumatizing to read. Please see the following information from the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Center on Triggers, from the Psych Central website:

A trigger is something that sets off a memory tape or flashback transporting the person back to the event of her/his original trauma.

Triggers are very personal; different things trigger different people. The survivor may begin to avoid situations and stimuli that she/he thinks triggered the flashback. She/he will react to this flashback, trigger with an emotional intensity similar to that at the time of the trauma. A person’s triggers are activated through one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.
The senses identified as being the most common to trigger someone are sight and sound, followed by touch and smell, and taste close behind. A combination of the senses is identified as well, especially in situations that strongly resemble the original trauma. Although triggers are varied and diverse, there are often common themes.

Sight

• Often someone who resembles the abuser or who has similar traits or objects (ie. clothing, hair color, distinctive walk).
• Any situation where someone else is being abused (ie. anything from a raised eyebrow and verbal comment to actual physical abuse).
• The object that was used to abuse
• The objects that are associated with or were common in the household where the abuse took place (ie. alcohol, piece of furniture, time of year).
• Any place or situation where the abuse took place (ie. specific locations in a house, holidays, family events, social settings).

Sound

• Anything that sounds like anger (ie. raised voices, arguments, bangs and thumps, something breaking).
• Anything that sounds like pain or fear (ie. crying, whispering, screaming).
• Anything that might have been in the place or situation prior to, during, or after the abuse or reminds her/him of the abuse (ie. sirens, foghorns, music, cricket, chirping, car door closing).
• Anything that resembles sounds that the abuser made (ie. whistling, footsteps, pop of can opening, tone of voice).
• Words of abuse (ie. cursing, labels, put-downs, specific words used).

Smell

• Anything that resembles the smell of the abuser (ie. tobacco, alcohol, drugs, after shave, perfume).
• Any smells that resemble the place or situation where the abuse occurred (ie. food cooking ,wood, odors, alcohol).

Touch

• Anything that resembles the abuse or things that occurred prior to or after the abuse (ie. certain physical touch, someone standing too close, petting an animal, the way someone approaches you).

Taste

• Anything that is related to the abuse, prior to the abuse or after the abuse (ie. certain foods, alcohol, tobacco).