Understanding what it means to be triggered

BEING ‘TRIGGERED’ HAS BECOME A POPULAR INTERNET PHRASE, BUT FROM A MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, TRIGGERING HAS SERIOUS LINKS TO EMOTIONAL TRAUMA

- CAITLIN GENG

You may have come across people on Twitter or Facebook joking about being triggered, or using it as slang for anything they find mildly annoys or offends them. For instance, a gaudily decorated room or a comically unfashionable outfit might elicit replies like, ‘This hurts my eyes! I’m triggered!’. You might also have come across genuine ‘trigger warnings’ at the start of articles or videos, which let you know they contain sensitive information or images.

The true meaning of the word, when used in relation to mental health, is worth understanding, and is rooted in emotional trauma. Dr Marshinee Naidoo, a psychiatrist practising at Akeso Alberton, explains what being triggered means and how to handle the experience.

What does it mean to be triggered?

‘To be triggered is to have an intense emotional or physical reaction, such as a panic attack, after encountering a “trigger”, which is a catalyst or reminder of a past traumatic event. Triggers act as stimuli that strongly recall memories of traumas, or particular aspects of traumatic experiences,’ explains Dr. Naidoo. She adds that the actual stimuli which lead to feeling triggered may not necessarily be frightening or traumatic themselves, and are often only superficially or indirectly linked to the trauma they recall. For example, a person suffering with anorexia nervosa may be triggered by coming across an image of a slim celebrity, or a particular smell or sound may trigger a person who’s suffering with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How are triggers formed?