Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that develops after witnessing or experiencing an extremely traumatic event. The feelings associated with these events have not been addressed over time in individuals who have been exposed. As a result, various things can provoke or trigger the onset of a renewed reaction to trauma. Some PTSD triggers are more common than others. But regardless of how you’re affected, a PTSD treatment program can help you overcome unresolved trauma. Contact Evoke Waltham today to discover our PTSD treatment programs.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD is a lingering byproduct of severe trauma exposure. It can develop after any experience that overwhelms your emotional coping mechanisms. This kind of experience includes natural disasters and physical or sexual abuse or assault. They also include major injuries and accidents, intimate partner violence, and exposure to combat or terrorism. All people with diagnosable PTSD have symptoms that fall into each of the following four categories:
- Avoiding memories or thoughts of a past trauma
- Experiencing unwanted thoughts or memories of such a trauma
- Undergoing negative, destabilizing changes in your mood and thinking
- Becoming unusually reactive or easy to startle
These symptoms must be present 30 days or more after a traumatic experience.
What Is a PTSD Trigger?
What is a PTSD trigger, and how does it impact you? As a rule, the effects of PTSD are not the same at all times. Instead, they come and go depending on various circumstances in daily life. Some things can activate your unresolved trauma and cause a spike in your symptoms. Experts often refer to these things as triggers.
All PTSD triggers have some things in common. Namely, they remind you in some way of your past trauma. In addition, people unaffected by PTSD typically view them as harmless or non-threatening.
Common PTSD Triggers
No single thing triggers PTSD in everyone affected by the disorder. Still, some triggers are relatively common, including:
- Certain smells, sounds, sights, tastes, or forms of touch
- Particular locations or scenarios
- Things you see in movies, videos, or on television
- People who look or sound a certain way
- Specific objects
- Words that you associate with a traumatic event
- Physical sensations that have the same kind of association
- Unpleasant feelings such as anger, sadness, anxiousness, or loneliness
You may also be triggered by anniversaries or other significant dates or times of the year.
The Importance of Knowing Your PTSD Triggers
One thing is certain whether you experience common PTSD triggers or triggers unique to you. Knowing the things that activate your symptoms as much as possible is essential. That includes understanding which specific triggers affect you. It also includes knowing what kinds of reactions you have when your PTSD is triggered.
Why is it so vital to understand these things? Knowledge of your triggers is the first step in coping with them effectively. In some cases, managing may involve avoiding a given PTSD trigger. In others, it means facing and working through a trigger you can’t avoid. With a PTSD treatment program, you will get the help you need to improve your coping skills. You’ll also receive other forms of assistance that support your overall recovery.
Get More Information on Common PTSD Triggers at Evoke Waltham
Want to know more about the things that can trigger PTSD? Talk to the mental health specialists at Evoke Waltham. We’re happy to provide you with more detail on PTSD and its potential symptom triggers.
Evoke Waltham is also your source for quality PTSD treatment. Every day, we combine expert care with a customized, patient-centered approach. That’s part of our dedication to your recovery and renewed well-being. Call us today at 866.276.1920 or contact us through our online form to get started.
