Triggers are emotional, physical and psychological experiences that weaken your sense of well-being. Sometimes called stressors, triggers are powerful responses that can be set off by external events, interactions with others, and even by our own negative self-statements. Essentially, triggers are experiences that get assigned a negative consequence because they leave us feeling vulnerable.

Life is filled with challenging and difficult moments, and you'd be hard pressed to find a single person who has never experienced a trigger reaction. We all have experiences, some that make us feel good, others that make us feel bad. So, the truth is, no one is trigger free. Triggers are a part of life, and learning how to identity and deal with them is the key to success.

First, learn how to recognize the who, where, what, whys and whens of your emotional life.  Start by looking at the calendar.  Learn the dates that are meaningful or stressful for you, like a divorce, anniversary, or a death. Maybe it's a doctor appointment or an upcoming family gathering. Note the time of year these dates occur as well as the season and holidays that encircle them. Knowing this, you not only anticipate the emotional date, but also its related time frame.

1) Examine your senses. Does a smell in the air touch a raw nerve? Perhaps a song on the radio or words that are said to you upset you more deeply than you realize.  Does the touch of a cold breeze feel good or send more than just a chill down your spine? 

2) Know your personal narrative. Taking inventory of past and present traumatic moments in your life will help identify triggers for the future. Also look at the less obvious events that stand out, like what issues you are overly sensitive about, the kind of structure you need to feel safe, or what kind of temperament do you have.  Being aware will help you identify patterns that stress and pull at your sense of well-being.

3) Expect to stumble. Just remember, when it comes to triggers, you're going to fall down the stairs, so to speak. But don't use getting sidelined as a measure of your ability to deal with them. Instead, look at how quickly you get up and back on your feet. It's the bouncing back that's important.

4) Practice. Practice. Practice. One way to build trigger resiliency is to review your skill set.  What problem solving tools can you use to keep strong? Can you summon positive thinking to offset negative thoughts when triggers get the better of you? Do you need to delegate more to reduce stress?  What is the current level of your depression and are you attending to it well?  Do your best to adjust your lifestyle to minimize triggers, but be careful not to let your world become too narrow.

5) Plan for emergencies. Another way to manage trigger fallout is to create an action plan in advance so you'll know what to do when you're sidelined.

6) Don't withdraw. It's not uncommon to want to withdraw from others, but isolating yourself can interfere with healing. Connecting to others will help you get back on track, so make sure you don't spend too much time alone.

7) Call in the cavalry Reach for support when triggers hit.  Turn to a trusted friend or family member – and don't hesitate to ask for help should you need it.  Also important here is to make your triggers known not only to yourself, but aloud to others. Insist that people in your life honor and respect them.

8) Establish a daily routine Have a daily routine for waking, sleeping, eating, and exercising – and for relaxing and refueling too.  When a trigger floods you emotionally, you can grab onto the predictability of your schedule to help you float until your back on solid ground. 

 

 

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Dr. Deborah Serani is the author of "Living with Depression," by Rowman and Littleflield. Serani is a go-to expert on the subject of depression whose interviews can be found in ABC News, Newsday, Psychology Today, The Chicago Sun Times, Glamour Magazine, The Associated Press, and affiliate radio station programs at CBS and NPR, just to name a few. Serani has also served as a technical advisor for the NBC television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

For more tips or to schedule an interview with Dr. Serani contact Sam Caggiula, Publicity Manager at Rowman & Littlefield, Phone: +1-301-459-3366 Email:  scaggiula@rowman.com