Okay so your day is going fine. Everything is normal. You are happy and calm with the present situation. Then it happens. You become upset, angry, ill, dizzy, hurt, uncomfortable or not like yourself. This sudden feeling may be caused because of a small insignificant thing that someone said, object you seen, sound you are hearing or even something you aren't even aware of.
For someone living with DID and PTSD, these triggers can cause serious discomfort and emotional distress. They can even result in physical pain (eg. headaches, tight chest, dry throat). Triggers can be quite difficult to handle and make you feel helpless.
Being aware of what triggers you can be a scary thought, however, this actually helps in coping with what is mentally associated with the trigger. If a teddy bear is your trigger then it is important to notice that it makes you feel a certain way, but just as important to know that by seeing the teddy bear nothing bad is going to happen and you will be okay. The memories associated with the trigger are just that, memories. They are past moments that can not be changed now and are not currently happening. Being able to remain grounded and in the present is so important when it comes to coping with triggers.
There are different types of triggers that people may experience: Time Triggers, Physical Triggers, Relationship Triggers, Auditory Triggers, Internal Triggers and even Positive Triggers.
A trigger type I would like to focus on for now is called Positive triggers. Positive triggers are like normal triggers in that the bring up past experiences and memories, however, they are of happy times and "good" emotions. These triggers can be difficult to recognise as we are so use to focusing on the negative side. Personally, it was quite hard to think about what exactly it is that no matter what mood I'm in, can make me forget the bad stuff for a while and be happy.
I managed to figure out 3 positive triggers and I think that you should try and find 3 of your own.
Anime: When I'm watching anime I am able to stop thinking about the real world and real issues and focus on something more fun and lighthearted. Its like an escape that helps me relax and be emerged in a new and special world.
Taylor Swift: Listening to Taylor Swift instantly makes me feel happy, jumpy and at ease. Its like nothing else matters and I get lost in the music. I remember when I was younger, dancing around in my room and pretending to be her and wishing I could be famous with pretty hair haha.
Looking at Stars: I have always been fascinated by space and the vastness of the universe and just laying outside or looking up at the sky of a night can just make everything else disappear and makes me feel that I can just reach up and touch the small shiny sparkles.
These things may seem stupid or small to you but to me they have helped and brought so much joy. Triggers are a personal and unique part of everyone and we can't judge what makes other people happy or upset as we are not them.
Not everything is scary or dangerous and we can't change the past. Negative and Positive triggers need to be noticed and understood before beginning to cope with the challenges that come with them.
I hope that this helped some people and that you smiled thinking about some of your positive triggers. I decided to write about this subject as its what I'm currently working on in my own life.
I am not a professional and if you need help, please reach out to someone. :)
Jen x
(Hope this makes sense as I was a bit out of it when typing)
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