Acknowledging and understanding trauma triggers means recognising that a seemingly small thing to one person can be huge to another, and compassion is key through this process.

In simple terms, a trigger refers to something that evokes a reaction in a person reminding them of the traumatic event(s) Triggers are external or internal cues that remind a person of a traumatic event they have experienced.

These cues can be:

• Sensory (e.g., a particular smell or sound)

• Situational (e.g., a specific location, time of year)

• Emotional (e.g., feelings of fear or shame)

• Cognitive (e.g., certain thoughts or memories)

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Triggers can vary greatly from person to person and are often highly individualised.

When a trauma survivor encounters a trigger, they may experience intense emotional and physical responses. These can include heightened anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional distress, and even re-experiencing elements of the traumatic event in the form of flashbacks.

Triggers are a natural part of a survivor's journey and understanding and navigating triggers is also a part of the healing and recovery inner journey. 

This could be a word, a sound, a voice, a colour, a particular story, a name, a smell, a picture, a touch… This wide-ranging nature of triggers is essentially due to the fact that each individual responds to trauma in unique ways, and different things can be triggering for different people.

And this trigger can come at any time, from any place – the books we read, the videos we watch, our conversations with people, the news… 

Feeling triggered is not a sign of weakness – it is perfectly natural, as we are human beings with emotions, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, that respond to stimuli around us. The fact that one can be triggered does not make that person highly sensitive, fragile, or incapable of enjoying humour. It does not define a person, and should not become a basis to discriminate against them, or make fun of them.