Understand how to recognize and overcome emotional triggers

WLA stuffy nose, staying home alone for a long time and even the act of driving. For a long time, completely common everyday situations in composer Seely Jr., 27, were awakened by feelings of anxiety, anxiety and panic. He didn’t know, but they were stimulators capable of provoking an emotional chain reaction. “The thing that helped me overcome it the most was understanding, but it is always possible to invent something new. Therapy with a psychologist is very important. It changed my life”, confirms the young man, who created the profile on Instagram @ansiedadefada with testimonials and opinions on how to deal with anxiety and live with it .

The term “trigger alert” has become popular in recent years, especially among young people on social media. In forums that bring together victims of sexual abuse, for example, it is common to see pre-publication statements with a report of abuse. The goal is to warn unsuspecting readers that the content of the material is powerful and can make those who have gone through similar traumas relive their feelings of suffering. Triggers, a common term in psychology, are almost always traumatic experiences that have accumulated or unresolved throughout life.

Lucina Rosa, a physician and psychotherapist, explains that they elicit feelings, feelings and reactions that differ in each individual in terms of intensity, duration and consequences, with discomfort and suffering. “We can all have emotional triggers. Each one deals with them according to their own mental resources and strategies. Reactions are as varied as anger, fear, sadness, crying, despair, shame, and addiction,” he explains. In more serious cases, people can experience anxiety attacks, panic attacks, and worsening depression or other mental illness.

Recognizing the causes of trauma and the correct diagnosis provides the most efficient treatment for each case. The earlier the diagnosis and intervention, the better the outcomes. “It is essential to understand what happens to those who experience a trigger. Realizing what triggers this process is the first step in seeking psychotherapy help and treatment. This is the best way to deal with trauma, and to seek well-being and quality of life,” explains the psychiatrist.

The biggest problem with the trigger is that it is not always easy to identify and reviving the trauma before it has been overcome can have devastating effects. Adele Rios, M.D., psychiatry and researcher at the University of the South Pacific School of Medicine’s Institute of Psychiatry, points out that an emotional trigger is anything—including memories, experiences, or events—that causes an intense emotional reaction, regardless of state of mind. current. “It may be related to PTSD. Knowing your triggers and how to deal with them is a key component of good emotional health.”

Some common situations that trigger intense emotions include rejection, betrayal, unfair treatment, beliefs being challenged, helplessness, rejection or criticism, and feelings of insecurity. “The key step in recognizing your own triggers is to pay attention to situations that elicit a strong emotional response. Try tracing these feelings back to their origins, and think about other situations that made you feel the same,” the doctor informs.

Another important tip is to pay attention to the physical symptoms caused by emotions in the body, such as shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and sweating. In addition to understanding the source of the trigger, sharing information with family and friends and seeking professional help are good ways to approach and even overcome the problem. “You cannot escape from delicate situations. The ideal is to be prepared to deal with any trigger that may arise in everyday life,” explains Adele Rios.

Relive the traumas of the past
There is a big difference between remembering a negative situation and remembering a painful situation. Remembering can generate an unpleasant feeling, but it does not control a person’s behavior. Psychologist and psychotherapist Ettore Ritter explains: “The stimulus usually leads to something associated with a traumatic experience. Thus, the person has an exaggerated reaction to a situation that in others does not motivate him.” The stimuli, which can be internal or external, are not the cause of the reaction, but indicate severe past suffering.

A song, for example, played on a car stereo at the time of an accident can become an emotional trigger for those who survive the crash. The professional explains, “Release stimuli are uncontrollable. Anything can be a stimulus. The reactive behavior it elicits is automatic and unconscious.” Contrary to what many people think, this trigger can also be positive emotions and sensations such as smells and flavors that indicate childhood.

In general, people do not pay attention to stimuli. They just avoid the bad posture in which the trigger goes off. “Initially, or intuitively, people run away or avoid contact with the stimulus. This sounds good in the short term because it avoids the negative situation, but in the long run it reduces a person’s freedom, causing them to avoid a lot of things that are constricting in their life. The coping procedure is The best option, but this can be difficult on its own or without preparation,” he explains. That is why it is so important to seek expert help to learn how to deal with emotions.

january white
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that depression affects 5.8% of the Brazilian population and that anxiety-related disorders affect 9.3%. White January is a campaign that seeks to address issues related to mental and emotional health, topics that have taken on greater mental importance in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “If we don’t talk about it, we don’t learn. Ignorance and prejudice lead to a lack of diagnosis, a lack of adherence to treatment, the extension of the emotional suffering of those experiencing psychological discomfort, and the prolongation and exacerbation of suffering,” explains psychologist and psychotherapist Ettore Ritter. Over the course of the month, various mental health care measures will be implemented across the country.