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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) doesn’t follow a schedule. Triggers can hit you out of nowhere — a sound, a smell, a phrase, a face — and suddenly you’re no longer in the present. You’re back there. It’s real, it’s raw, and it feels like it’s happening again.
When you’re triggered, the brain is doing what it was wired to do after trauma: protect you. But in that moment, what you really need is to ground yourself in the now. Here’s how you can manage the surge of fear, pain, or dissociation when it comes.
Rose Wellness offers PTSD treatment in Maryland, and our clinicians have ample experience helping people recognize and manage their post-traumatic stress triggers. Below, we explain what you could do to manage your specific stimuli or support a loved one dealing with complex stressors.
Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Its Triggers
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that stems from a traumatic experience. People sometimes assume that a person must experience something terrifying firsthand to develop this condition. However, witnessing a major natural disaster, violent assault, serious accident, war, or terrorist act could be enough to cause PTSD.
People with the condition may have severe anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks or uncontrollable thoughts about their experience. Certain stressors could cause them to re-experience the event and their initial trauma.
PTSD isn't something a person can "get over." Trigger identification and coping strategies are essential for helping people learn how to live with the condition and still have a fulfilling life. Triggers are broad and differ from person to person but often include certain sounds, memories, images, scents, and people.
Knowing How To Recognize Your Triggers
Learning how to deal with PTSD triggers is crucial for managing your condition. Knowing your stressors will help you anticipate potential emotional reactions so you can take the appropriate measures to prepare and cope.
Although it will take time to recognize all of your stressors, it's a worthwhile process. With this knowledge, you can better communicate your needs to your loved ones and build a strong support system.
Let's take a closer look at common triggers below:
Internal Triggers
Internal triggers are stimuli that you feel within your body, such as emotions, memories, or physical symptoms. Examples include:
- Anger
- Muscle tension
- Physical pain
- Anxiety
- Racing heartbeat
- Feeling out of control
External Triggers
External stressors are those involving people, places, or situations that may happen during your typical day. They may include:
- Anniversaries
- Specific smells
- Familiar locations
- Watching a movie that reminds you of the trauma
- Reading an article that reminds you of the event
- Seeing somebody who reminds you of the incident
- Arguments
PTSD Coping Strategies To Consider for Your Recovery
Learn how to deal with PTSD with these coping strategies.
1. Recognize What’s Happening
The first and most powerful thing you can do is name it: “This is a trigger. This is PTSD.” Naming it doesn’t make it stop, but it separates you from the experience. You are not broken. Your brain is responding in a way it learned to survive. That awareness creates a crack of light in the fog.
2. Breathe Like You Mean It
It sounds simple, but when you’re triggered, breathing tends to go shallow or hold entirely. Try box breathing: inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four, hold again for four. Repeat. This signals your nervous system that you are safe right now.
3. Use Grounding Techniques
When your mind is trying to pull you into the past, grounding anchors you in the present. Try:
- 5-4-3-2-1 Technique: Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste.
- Temperature shifts: Hold ice, splash cold water, or sip a hot drink — temperature jolts can bring you back.
- Touch: Rub a textured object, run your fingers over your jeans, or press your feet firmly into the floor.
4. Create a Safe Space
If possible, go to a space where you feel physically and emotionally safe. It could be your bedroom, your car, or even just closing your eyes and visualizing a peaceful place. Some people create "grounding kits" with photos, objects, scents, or affirmations that help remind them of the present.
5. Talk to Yourself Kindly
It’s easy to feel ashamed for being triggered — but shame feeds the cycle. Instead, practice saying things like:
- “This is hard, but I’ve survived this before.”
- “I’m allowed to feel what I feel.”
- “This moment will pass.”
Compassion toward yourself in the middle of a flashback or panic is not weakness. It’s strength.
6. Reach Out When You Can
Sometimes, the best grounding is another voice. Text a trusted friend with a code word. Call a crisis line. Even reading a message you wrote to yourself when calm can help. You’re not alone in this, even if it feels like it.
Additionally:
Use Relaxation and Distractions for Emotional Regulation
Relaxation is essential for stress management. Consider activities like listening to quiet music, meditation, and exploring nature.
Even focusing on work or recreational activities can draw your attention away from painful stimuli and memories. It can boost your mood and minimize the damage from PTSD over time.
Get a Deeper Understanding of PTSD
Learning about post-traumatic stress disorder and common stressors can help you feel more connected to people with the same condition. You'll know that you're not alone or weak when you feel your powerful emotions. When you understand how people respond to trauma, you can better cope with your own.
Seek Support From Others
You don't have to suffer alone or in silence. Don't be afraid to reach out to your loved ones and talk about your problems. You'll feel more understood and may get direct help with whatever you're facing in the moment.
Consider Psychotherapy in Addition to Learning Self-Grounding Techniques
With trauma, people often need more help identifying and dealing with their triggers, and that's OK. Different psychotherapy methods can provide the tools and support you need to cope.
Working with a trauma-informed therapis is great for helping people recognize and alter negative thoughts that cause distressing behaviors and emotions. We have numerous trauma informed therapists at Rose Wellness, which means they have underwent specific training to work with trauma.
Take Control of Your Trauma Recovery With Help From Rose Wellness
Learning how to manage your PTSD stimuli isn't easy, but it is necessary to improve your mental well-being and move forward with your life. The good news is that you don't have to take this path alone. You can get the support you need at Rose Wellness, a fully virtual private practice service for Maryland-based patients.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is just one of the services our virtual office provides children, teens, adults, and couples seeking help through mental health counseling. We also offer trauma-informed care, EMDR, grief counseling, and stress management. To schedule a consultation with one of our clinicians to learn how to deal with PTSD triggers, call Rose Wellness today at (202) 681-1348.
