No one likes being triggered. The racing heart, the tight chest, the sudden urge to run, shut down, or lash out. These moments can feel overwhelming and disorienting. But what if, instead of seeing triggers as enemies, we viewed them as messengers? Or better yet, as teachers?

In The Trauma Monster, Barb Dorrington encourages readers to approach their triggers with curiosity instead of shame. Because while triggers are uncomfortable, they hold valuable clues about what still needs healing.

What Is a Trigger?

A trigger is anything, an event, word, sound, smell, or situation, that causes your body and nervous system to react as if a past trauma is happening again. Triggers are not always logical or dramatic. Sometimes they are subtle and surprising.

Examples include being interrupted and suddenly feeling invisible, hearing a tone of voice that reminds you of a past abuser, or feeling rejected when someone sets a boundary.

Triggers are not proof that you are broken. They are proof that you have been hurt, and that your body remembers.

What Triggers Can Teach Us:

  1. They Point to Unresolved Pain: Triggers show us the parts of our story that still ache. They shine a light on what is unprocessed or unspoken.

  2. They Reveal Core Beliefs: Feeling triggered often exposes the beliefs we have internalized, like "I am not safe," "I am not good enough," or "I am going to be abandoned." These are invitations to challenge and reframe those beliefs.

  3. They Offer a Chance to Rewire: Each time we recognize a trigger and respond differently, we teach our nervous system that it is safe to do so. Triggers become opportunities for change.

  4. They Highlight Our Growth Edges: When we are triggered, we are being shown where we have room to grow, where we can strengthen boundaries, deepen self-compassion, or learn new tools.

How to Work With Triggers Not Against Them:

  1. Pause and Breathe: Instead of reacting immediately, take a breath. Ground yourself. Remind your body that this is uncomfortable, but you are safe.

  2. Name the Trigger: Label what you are feeling. "I am triggered right now because this reminds me of when I felt powerless." Naming creates space for clarity.

  3. Validate Your Response: Do not shame yourself for being triggered. Say: "Of course I feel this way. This feeling makes sense given what I have experienced."

  4. Reflect Later: When you are calm, journal or talk about the trigger. Ask what it stirred up in you and what the deeper wound underneath might be.

  5. Get Support if Needed: Some triggers run deep. A trauma-informed therapist can help you unpack and heal what surfaces.

Triggers Are Not Setbacks. They Are Signposts:

Barb Dorrington reminds us that triggers are not failures. They are invitations. Invitations to go inward, to honor your history, and to move forward with new insight.

Every time you face a trigger with compassion, you chip away at the power trauma has over you.

So the next time you feel activated, take a breath. Be curious. And thank the trigger for showing you where the next layer of healing lives.

You are not the trigger. You are the one learning to listen, respond, and rise.