Avoiding Trauma Triggers
Avoiding Trauma Triggers
- Avoiding things, places and people related to the event. Sometimes you might try to avoid things because they trigger painful memories. For example, you may avoid going out after dark if the trauma occurred at night. It’s particularly common to want to avoid crowds after a traumatic event, even if your traumatic event wasn’t caused by another person.
- Trying not to think about the event. By its nature, a traumatic event leaves a negative memory, so it makes sense that you would want to avoid thinking about it. Your mind will tend to replay the memory in order to make sense of it, so it can be difficult to keep it out of your mind for very long. Often, people find that it becomes less painful to remember the trauma as time passes.
MAKING SENSE OF TRAUMA ARTICLE SERIES
A series of articles covering trauma reactions
Related Resources
Making Sense of Traumatic EventsIf you have experienced a traumatic event, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, trauma is prevalent in our society. An estimated 1 in 5 adults have experienced physical or sexual abuse during childhood.- Common Emotional Reactions to TraumaIt’s common to experience a range of different emotions following a trauma event.
- Changes in How You Perceive Yourself, Others and the WorldThe way that you see yourself, other people and the world can change after a trauma.
- Substance Use following TraumaSome people increase their use of alcohol or substances following a trauma. This is often an attempt to block out painful memories, thoughts or feelings related to the trauma.
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