What Happens When PTSD Is Triggered?
Post-traumatic stress disorder generally refers to a mental health condition that can develop after one experiences or witnesses a traumatic event like a natural disaster, war, sexual abuse, or another situation that causes intense fear, helplessness, anger, or other unsettling emotions. These experiences can later be triggered and re-experienced through flashbacks or vivid memories.
What happens when PTSD is triggered? Intense emotions may be evoked by certain images, smells, sounds, places, or people that serve as PTSD triggers, potentially summoning memories of the event that took place. Due to the disturbing nature of these memories, many people try to avoid potential triggers. Exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective forms of treatment.
PTSD symptoms
Fear can be seen as a natural part of the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, often prompting a range of emotions, especially in those who have experienced trauma. While some people recover from trauma over time, others continue to experience distressing symptoms for an extended period.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, when left unaddressed, can be detrimental to a person’s quality of life. Research indicates that PTSD can be associated with a reduced ability to experience positive emotions.
Diagnosing PTSD after a traumatic event
Usually, a PTSD diagnosis involves the following symptoms:
- At least one re-experiencing symptom, such as flashbacks or recurring memories
- At least one avoidance symptom, such as avoiding people, places, and events that may act as reminders of the trauma, or avoiding feelings and thoughts associated with the event
- At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms, such as experiencing sleep disturbances, being easily startled, feeling tense, irritable, or prone to angry outbursts, or engaging in self-destructive behavior
- At least two mood and cognition symptoms, such as pessimism about oneself and the world, social isolation, self-blame, ongoing negative emotions, or difficulty recalling important parts of the event
Common PTSD triggers
PTSD triggers can evoke a powerful range of emotions and sensations, as well as flashbacks or vivid memories of the trauma. Some people may feel overwhelmed, vulnerable, or angry, while others may feel upset or guilty. They may experience physical symptoms like a rapid heart rate, sweating, or nausea as well. These symptoms can make it challenging to function as usual.
Common PTSD triggers may involve those discussed below, among others:
- Auditory triggers, such as the sound of screeching tires in connection with a car accident
- Olfactory triggers, such as the smell of burnt wood in connection to a fire
- Specific locations, such as the place where the trauma occurred
- Anniversaries of the event
- People associated with the event
- Reading or consuming media about similar events
Mental health treatment for PTSD
Treatment for PTSD can take many forms, including therapy, prescription medication, and support groups. It can be important to seek out a mental health professional who specializes in PTSD and trauma-related concerns.
Below are several therapeutic approaches that can address PTSD:
Managing PTSD triggers with exposure therapy
Exposure therapy generally aims to help people manage fear and reduce distressing symptoms through gradual exposure to PTSD triggers. One may be prompted to think about the event, write about the experience, or revisit the place where the trauma occurred in a safe and guided way.
Understanding cognitive restructuring for PTSD symptoms and treatment
Cognitive restructuring typically aims to help a person reexamine and make sense of the traumatic event by thinking about what happened in a more helpful way. Often, a person may remember things differently from how they occurred or believe they are at fault for the way events transpired.
Cognitive restructuring can encompass various techniques which usually focus on the interaction of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By changing unhelpful or inaccurate thought patterns, emotions may shift, and symptoms may be relieved. Other cognitive approaches include cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and cognitive therapy. These approaches tend to be highly recommended by the American Psychological Association for PTSD treatment.
Exploring EMDR therapy and what happens when PTSD is triggered
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychotherapy that can help individuals process trauma, make sense of it, and relieve the distress associated with a particular event. EMDR usually involves bilateral stimulation in the form of following a back-and-forth movement with your eyes while recalling a specific memory "until shifts occur in the way that you experience that memory and more information from the past is processed."
Recommended by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as one of the more effective therapies for PTSD, EMDR can take between one and three months of weekly sessions.
Virtual therapy to alleviate PTSD symptoms
Sometimes, PTSD symptoms can make it challenging to attend therapy in person. The thought of leaving the comfort of your home or encountering triggers on your commute to the therapist’s office may prevent you from seeking treatment. Attending therapy in a virtual setting may be an excellent way to receive the professional guidance you deserve.
Benefits of online therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder
Online therapy through platforms like BetterHelp can be convenient and accessible for many people. Online therapy generally allows you to speak to a therapist by phone, video, or online chat to further suit your comfort levels.
A UK-based study of 196 people with mild-to-moderate PTSD symptoms found that "PTSD symptoms improved equally after online or face-to-face treatment at 16 weeks; there was no difference between the two therapies."
Takeaway
How can a traumatic event trigger PTSD, and what are the common symptoms?
A traumatic event can trigger PTSD by overwhelming the brain's ability to process the experience, leading to symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and emotional numbness.
Many things can trigger PTSD symptoms. After traumatic events, people with PTSD may experience intense distress, intrusive memories, panic attacks, or negative thoughts, as well as mood symptoms and other emotional reactions to triggers like hearing a car backfire or fireworks, smelling things like smoke or perfume, or seeing things that remind them of the trauma.
What happens when PTSD is triggered, and how does it affect mental health?
When PTSD is triggered, a person may re-experience intense fear, distress, or panic, which can disrupt daily life, relationships, and overall mental health.
What are the effects of traumatic stress, and how can it lead to PTSD symptoms?
Traumatic stress can cause the brain to remain in a heightened state of alertness, leading to PTSD symptoms such as hypervigilance, avoidance behaviors, and intrusive thoughts or memories.
How does PTSD affect a person's mental health?
PTSD can lead to anxiety, depression, flashbacks, feeling emotionally numb, and difficulty concentrating, severely impacting daily functioning and emotional well-being. People may also experience avoidance symptoms, like suppressing emotions or avoiding physical reminders of the event, or suicidal thoughts.
Someone who has another mental illness may be more at risk for developing PTSD after life-threatening events like a natural disaster or sexual assault. Some risk factors for PTSD, including family history and childhood trauma, apply to both PTSD and various other mental health conditions, which can make symptoms difficult to treat. For example, people who have mood or anxiety disorders are more likely to develop PTSD after common triggers. After PTSD encounters, they are likely to face a challenging healing process that may require them to work through symptoms of both PTSD and their pre-existing mental health condition.
What occurs in the brain when PTSD is triggered?
When PTSD is triggered, the brain's fear response is activated, causing heightened alertness, stress hormone release, and difficulty distinguishing between past trauma and the present.
What to do when a PTSD trigger occurs at work?
When a PTSD trigger occurs at work, it may be helpful to practice grounding techniques, take a break, or seek support from a trusted colleague or mental health professional.
Part of PTSD treatment can include learning how to develop coping mechanisms to manage intense emotional symptoms when they arise. Some techniques and coping strategies that may help someone regain control of negative thought patterns include the following:
- Positive distractions, like creating art.
- Physical activity. Research shows that physical activity may help alleviate PTSD symptoms. Plus, exercise releases endorphins, which can help improve mood, reduce stress, and help someone with uncontrollable thoughts feel calm.
- Grounding techniques to bring thoughts back to the present moment.
- Deep breathing exercises to slow some of the physical responses when someone with PTSD encounters a trigger.
- Being open to positive emotions and activities that can lead to feelings of pleasure.
- Turning to co-workers, family, and friends for emotional support.
How long does a PTSD trigger last after a traumatic event?
The duration of a PTSD trigger can vary, lasting from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the intensity of the trigger and the individual's coping mechanisms.
What makes PTSD symptoms worse after experiencing traumatic stress?
PTSD symptoms can worsen due to continuous exposure to stress, lack of support, or encountering reminders of the original traumatic event.
What happens to the body during a PTSD trigger?
Research has found that the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, which are central to fear processing, may contribute to symptoms of PTSD. Essentially, people with PTSD have impaired functioning in the parts of the brain responsible for threat expression and threat inhibition, threat learning, and contextualizing threats. Because of this, loud noises, smells, and other triggers cause heightened physical and emotional reactions, like severe anxiety and extreme fear.
This response can cause a range of reactions and physical sensations in the body. For example, someone experiencing overwhelming anxiety or distressing memories as a result of a PTSD trigger may have a racing heart rate, difficulty breathing, or trouble sleeping.
How long does a PTSD trigger last?
PTSD symptoms typically appear soon after a trauma. For some people, these symptoms may go away on their own in a few weeks or months. For others, they can last years, particularly if they remain untreated.
Some people can experience symptoms with a stable level of severity, while others can experience symptoms that may not be very intense and then flare up. Symptoms can also worsen during periods of stress or when something reminds them of the trauma.
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