The other day someone joked, “I’m triggered by pineapple on pizza,” and I felt my eyes just about rolled into next week. Because here is the thing: being triggered is not about being annoyed. It is not a quirky personality trait. It is your nervous system pulling the fire alarm, whether or not there is real danger in the room. And once you have lived it, you know the difference.
What a Trigger Really Is
In trauma informed terms, a trigger is any sensory reminder of a past threat — a noise, a smell, a visual cue — that activates your body’s alarm system, often before your brain can reason it through. These reactions can be fast, involuntary, and very real.
Trauma also changes the way your body processes sensory input. People who have lived through it often have a harder time filtering signals, which means overwhelm and defense responses can become a daily reality.
Living with Triggers: My Personal Story
For me, triggers show up in ways that are not always obvious. Sound is a big one. Sound overload can turn me into someone who looks cranky or short tempered. In reality, what is happening is that I hear everything all at once. Where you might sit in the living room and hear only the TV, I hear the electric hum, the ceiling fan blades, the birds outside, the wind in the trees, the water dripping in the kitchen. It layers and layers until my nervous system is buzzing. That is why I can complain about kids blasting music in the street but happily crank my own music up to the max… because my music is chosen sound, and it drowns out all the other noise competing for my attention.
Raised voices are another trigger. It does not even have to be someone yelling at me. A room getting louder because a sports team just scored is enough to send me into shaking, shallow breaths, and tears. My mind may know they are just celebrating, but my body only registers danger.
And do not get me started on jump scares. I am already jumpy by nature.. like a nervous cat… so one sudden noise or the feeling of being trapped can set off a full fight or flight response. From the outside, it might look like I am overreacting. On the inside, it is pure panic.
Even media can be triggering. There are movies and TV shows I simply cannot watch because certain scenes stick with me. Some of my closer circle will at times even tell me hey… that’s not gonna be a good movie for you or a good tv show for you… etc. Panic attacks, nightmares, and followed by days of feeling off balance to balance back out… that is not entertainment for me, that is survival mode.
And because of all of this, my triggers also shape how I parent. We don’t sleepover in our house (friends are always welcome here where I know it is safe)… nor do we do the babysitter thing. To some people, that looks overprotective or excessive. To me, it is a boundary that comes from my own experiences as a child, things that happened in other peoples homes that my mother entrusted with my care and safety and in some cases my own home when my parents were out and about… I can still remember these things vividly and the mere thought of my baby going through those things… I’ll be over protective to make sure she misses those experiences. Those memories live in my body, so I draw a hard line to protect both myself and my child.
The Science Behind It
Sensory over responsivity and anxiety risk: Early sensory sensitivity is linked with a higher likelihood of developing anxiety symptoms later in life.
Trauma and sensory processing: Heightened reactivity often stems from changes in the brains defense circuits that make everyday input feel unsafe.
Hypervigilance and anxiety sensitivity: A trauma tuned nervous system is often on constant watch. The body reacts as if threats are present, even when logic says they are not.
What Helps
Understanding and Naming It
Recognizing what is happening in your body is the first step. Realizing that it these feelings aren’t based on reality but conditioned responses based on the past danger.Grounding and Sensory Regulation
Use chosen sensory experiences, be it music you love, soft fabrics, mindful breathing, whatever brings you calm and peace, to calm the system.Boundaries That Honor You
Saying ‘no’ to things that overload you is not weakness. It is wisdom. And kind to yourself (you know how you try to be to everyone around you…give yourself the same standards).Approach with Curiosity, Not Judgment
Instead of shaming yourself for being triggered, get curious. Ask, “What is my body remembering right now. What is this response trying to protect me from.” Triggers can be teachers when you meet them with compassion instead of criticism.Therapeutic Tools
Somatic practices can help you re pattern your nervous system. Cognitive tools like interoceptive exposure can reduce fear of your own physical responses over time.
Final Thoughts
Triggers are not trendy. They are not about being dramatic or soft. They are about survival. Healing means meeting your nervous system with compassion, not the eye roll you give the casual misuse of the word.
So the next time someone jokes about being “triggered by email,” feel free to roll your eyes with me. Meanwhile, your triggers are your truth. Honoring them is how healing really starts.
Journaling Prompt if you are feeling thoughtful as this finds you:
One of my triggers is __________ and one way I can meet it with compassion next time is _____________.
Wishing you healing and peace,
Maya Blake
References
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.
Green SA, Ben-Sasson A. Anxiety Disorders and Sensory Over Responsivity in Children: A Systematic Review. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.
Jovanovic T, Ressler KJ. How the brain heals from trauma: Implications for PTSD treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry.
McTeague LM, Lang PJ. The anxiety spectrum and the reflex physiology of defense. Psychophysiology.
Porges SW. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self regulation.