The concept of "trigger" is common in various fields, but most often it occurs in psychology. Most often, a person can meet it on some sites, especially those dedicated to the topic of mental he alth, where there are special warnings about conditions that may disturb site visitors. The article will describe what it is - a trigger in psychology, and how to get rid of them.
Defining a trigger in psychology
What is a trigger in psychology? This term comes from the English trigger, which translates as "trigger". Based on the name, we can say that in a general sense, this state means a certain impetus that launches a certain system into action. In psychology, it is understood as a stimulus that causes some automatic emotional reactions. In the strict sense of this term, a trigger in psychology is a stimulus,which is capable of causing intense negative experiences, thoughts and states in a person. In the case of people with mental disorders, this term refers to a stimulus that exacerbates an attack or recurrence of symptoms.
It is also used in social contexts, such as talking about how conservative older people are annoyed by too bright colors in young people's hairstyles.
Are triggers harmful?
In itself, this condition does not carry a frightening or traumatic color. In fact, it is neutral, but can be perceived by a person as a threat, and completely unconsciously and regardless of his rational beliefs. Usually such triggers in psychology are also called traumatic stimuli and trauma stressor. Anything can become such an impetus - a randomly thrown phrase, a smell, a person, weather conditions or a certain situation. Of course, positive emotions can also be evoked, but most often a trigger in psychology is still a stimulus that causes negative states. Most often, it is an element of a traumatic experience, which, for some reason, was remembered most vividly (although this memory does not appear immediately). In order to understand what a trigger is in psychology, let's turn to the question of its occurrence.
Note that this term is not used in scientific literature.
How Traumatic Triggers Occur
It is still not entirely clear what it is, a trigger in psychology and how it is formed in the human mind. In general, the mechanismtheir occurrence is approximately the following: a stimulant is usually some negative experience in the past, which, when repeated, provokes stress with all its symptoms. Thus, the brain automatically forms a connection between the situation in the present and the negative emotions that a person encountered in the past in a similar case. Probably, sensory memory in stressful situations works especially hard. So, for example, a child who was bullied at school, where the walls were painted blue, in adulthood may experience fear and loneliness at the sight of the same walls or receive flashbacks in the form of old childhood memories. In fact, every person has one or another traumatic experience, and there is also a corresponding trigger. And the more it resembles an event from the past, the brighter and stronger will be the reaction to it. Some triggers may come from childhood, and then it is especially difficult to understand their cause, others are acquired through life experience.
Reactions to a traumatic memory can range from a change in mental state to involuntary physical reactions.
Triggers related to our habits
The following situation may also arise: in the process of forming a habit, one action can automatically lead to another. If a person is used to chewing something while reading, then an open book can trigger the desire to eat something tasty, regardless of whether the person is hungry or not. But amid stress, other habits can also arise -overeating, smoking, drinking and other types of self-destructive behavior. As a rule, such a reaction to triggers is not controlled by a person in any way and is carried out in an almost unconscious state.
How to get rid of triggers
So, we figured out what it is - a trigger in psychology, it remains to understand how to deal with it. Usually, a person who has had a traumatic experience in the past naturally tries to avoid stimuli that evoke memories of what happened, this is a completely normal reaction. But given that this term broadly refers to all negative automatic reactions, it is hardly possible to talk about the likelihood of getting rid of all emotional triggers. After all, even if a person becomes a hermit living high in the mountains, sooner or later there will still be a factor that causes negative emotions in him. After all, the occurrence of triggers is a completely natural process. Another thing is if the reactions to them begin to noticeably interfere.
How to control the reaction of the psyche
Regardless of what kind of emotions a trigger causes in a person, he should not blame himself, since they do not depend on his rational thinking. Quite often, people consciously avoid stimuli, and they do not always use socially acceptable methods for this. In especially difficult situations, it can come to destructive habits (alcohol, psychotropic substances), a break with loved ones, or even suicide attempts. Shouldremember that if you are subject to a strong trigger response, then it is never too late to seek help from a specialist - a psychologist or psychotherapist, to work through a trauma that has such complex consequences that it interferes with normal life.
In any case, you should carefully monitor your behavior and track which incident causes certain emotional responses. It is also necessary to try to find the causes of such a reaction and, if possible, deal with them. Triggers are, as it were, built into the psyche, and sometimes it seems quite difficult to find them. Alternatively, you can keep a diary - with its help it is more convenient to track your behavior. In the future, as you analyze your condition and gain experience in this area, it becomes easier to control your behavior and soften reactions, and ideally, stop the trigger at the very beginning of an emotional or physical response.
Psychological triggers in marketing
The basics of behavioral psychology are also used by marketers. With the help of certain emotional triggers, they increase the desire of the visitor to make a particular purchase. This is material for a separate article, but the techniques used by marketers are worth knowing in order to be independent of the imposition of actions.
Thus, we found out what it is - a trigger in psychology, and how to learn to control your condition.
