With the recently reported case of sexual assault on campus, as well as the Take Back the Night event, it is important to remember to address what emotional triggering looks like, how it can be managed, and how to help someone else when they are triggered. Being emotionally triggered refers to experiencing something that affects your emotional state through causing overwhelming distress. This can impact behavior and one’s ability to think clearly in the moment. When you do become triggered, it is important to be able to recognize and manage your emotional state as well as help others.
During a traumatic experience, the brain forms memories by encoding the information it is perceiving. Once this information is encoded by the hippocampus in the brain, it is stored as a memory. This involves strengthening synaptic connections between neurons in the brain. These neurons will release and take up specific neurotransmitters, epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, and acetylcholine, to facilitate the process of memory. The body does this naturally as a way to promote survival, reminding itself to avoid dangerous situations. However, when the brain is triggered, even if it is not in the same context, the trigger is associated with the trauma once experienced and elicits an emotional response.
Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio explains that our feelings come along with physical indications, allowing us to acknowledge our emotions. Becoming triggered may change your rate of breathing, blood flow, heart rate, muscle tenseness, and gut constriction. When this is identified, Damasio suggests asking yourself what you feel and why you are feeling this way so that you can become more aware of your emotions and recognize when they are occurring. It is important to be courageous enough to unpack what you are feeling and provide validation for these feelings.
According to Psychology Today, triggering can be self-managed once it is recognized that you are having an emotional reaction. The next step to take is to determine what caused this emotional trigger, allowing you to assess whether you are actually in a state of threat. After you have assessed the situation, working on shifting your emotional state can begin to alleviate your distress. Actively altering your physical body helps to bring peace to your mind, and because of this, it may be helpful to breathe deeply and release tension, calming down your mind. In addition, “centering” yourself by bringing focus and awareness to the center of your body can help you ground yourself and balance your physical and emotional states. It can also be helpful to attempt to detach yourself from the moment by clearing your mind of all thoughts. When a friend becomes triggered, it is important to validate their feelings, remove them from the situation, reassure them that they are safe, and comfort them as they express the emotions they need to.
Becoming triggered can be an overwhelming experience. By recognizing what emotions you are feeling and why, steps can be taken to deescalate the situation and make either yourself or a friend feel better and reassure safety.