What are triggers?

Triggers are things that remind you of the bad experience that you had. They are different for everyone. It could be:

• Seeing the person who hurt you, like an ex-partner or support worker.
• A song on the radio that reminds you of the abuse.
• A smell or a sound.
• Hearing someone else's story of abuse.
• Anything else that reminds you of your trauma.

When you experience a trigger, you might find that:

• Your heart beats faster
• You feel sweaty or hot
• You feel anxious, stressed or overwhelmed
• You feel like the traumatic event is happening again, or you feel the same way as you did then, even though it's not happening now.

You have these responses because your body links the trigger with danger. It floods your system with hormones like adrenaline in an effort to protect you. The reaction is often called 'fight or flight'.

What is the fight or flight response?

When we are in fight or flight, our bodies prepare to respond to a dangerous situation, just like they would have thousands of years ago if we were facing a wild animal that wanted to eat us. In this state, we might:

• Fight the source of danger.
• Take flight and run away.
• Freeze so we don't attract attention. 
• Fawn over the source of danger, which means trying to win it over by being lovely and kind.
• Flop, or shut down and play dead.

These are normal responses to trauma, though not everyone will experience all of these symptoms.

Some people have symptoms only at the time of the trauma. For others, the symptoms persist long after the actual violence or abuse has passed. However, it is always possible to heal and feel better over time.