⚠️ Today’s post explains what triggers actually are. No gatekeeping, no psych textbook jargon.

Let’s be honest: “trigger” is one of those words that gets thrown around so much online, it can lose its real meaning. (No, Karen, being mildly annoyed that your latte order was wrong is not the same thing as a trauma trigger.)

So what is a trigger?

A trigger is something — a sight, sound, smell, feeling, or situation — that sets off an intense emotional or physical reaction because it reminds your brain of past trauma.

It’s like your nervous system hits the “oh no, not this again” button before you even know what’s happening.

Why do they happen?

Your brain is basically a filing cabinet. Traumatic experiences get shoved into a “danger” folder. When you encounter something that even slightly matches that file — a song, a phrase, a perfume — your brain yells, “We’ve seen this before, and it was BAD!” and flips into survival mode.

What do they feel like?

• Racing heartbeat
• Stomach dropping
• Feeling detached or “not here”
• Sudden fear, panic, or rage
• Wanting to leave right now

What counts as a trigger?

• A smell (e.g., the same cologne someone wore during a bad time)
• A place (e.g., walking past a hospital after medical trauma)
• A sound (e.g., a slamming door after growing up around yelling)
• Even a vibe — sometimes your body just knows.

The important part:

Triggers aren’t weakness. They’re a sign your brain is trying to protect you and it just overreacts or misfires sometimes. Learning to understand them is step one in making them less powerful.

-Em (borderlinewithwifi)