Unit 2: Managing Trauma
IN THIS LESSON
The trigger wants you to act impulsively. Try to do the opposite.
There are several tools at your disposal to successfully fight off a trigger.
When a trauma trigger arrives, you have less than one second to decide how to react before your fight/flight/freeze response kicks in.
That’s not much time, is it?
Here’s what to do with that one second: buy yourself more time.
You’re going to have an overwhelming feeling to fight/flight/freeze. Train yourself to not react. This won’t be easy. You may need to close your eyes and take a deep breath. You may want to turn away from the source of the trigger. Do whatever you need to do to avoid an unhealthy reaction that can cause damage.
We’ll talk later about building a toolbox of exercises that you can use to respond in a healthy way.
Time to Reflect
Question 1: When a trigger happens, do you fight, flee, or freeze? How does that show itself? Describe how your body reacts.
Question 2: There are many grounding exercises out there in addition to those shown on this page. Hop online and search for three more. Write down those that resonate with you.