Triggered: Why I refuse to use this new buzzword.

a reply to: cheesyleps
I opened a door once and triggered an alarm. How's that?

Good for you... I f$cking hate buzzwords! Buzzwords are for pussy's!

a reply to: cheesyleps

I find it disgusting how the word has been misused lately. For those really suffering from trauma and have to deal with it nearly on a daily basis, it's a slap in the face.

Those who use the term on that light basis need to know that it's not the same if you for example see a coffin and think of death in general and then get a little bit sad. But that's the kind of way it's been used lately.

A trauma trigger can rip you out of what's going on around you and you relive parts of the experience that traumatized you in the first place. It takes years for one to even realize you are traumatized because you go into some sort of denial about the event. You just don't know but your subconscious knows and it's affecting you. First you can't tell why you panic, why your health degrades, why you can't sleep anymore or not be able to read even one page on a book without drifting off. I did the whole Lord of Rings in a weekend and suddenly I need 5 minutes for one #ing page. Because you even do not remember the dreams but you subconscious was there.

It's nothing I wish to anybody because it often is more worse than the experience or accident that "planted" the trigger.
It also needs a doctor to be found and can not be self diagnosed!

I hope some who read this may consider future usage or jokes about triggers.

originally posted by: thomadom
a reply to: cheesyleps

I believe your inference is unfounded. PD's are debilitating for those who suffer from them and to use them to make a link between a decline in empathy and an increase in narcissism is entirely confusing. Would it interest you to know that NPD's or narcissism in general has been on the rise for decades?
While i believe the need to fit in has led to people adopting words that they previously didn't use (at least in the context it is currently being used in) this in no way means that these people will or have developed a PD. You can be a narcissist without having a mental illness is all i'm saying.

Apologies, I see what you are saying now and you are absolutely right. I should perhaps have said narcissistic personality types or traits rather than personality disorders. I'm not familiar enough with the academic literature to know if there have been studies into the change in personality amongst those who haven't been diagnosed with disorders whereas I remember seeing headlines re: increase in disorder numbers.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire

That is I think. As I said, I was just musing for a moment and how pertinent any of that was is questionable. Thanks for the sounding board.

Muse away. That is one of the wonderful things about the internet and message boards in particular. One has the ability to simply muse upon a subject in a way we rarely get to do in our everyday lives. Most face to face conversations are so mired in the need to go back and forth that it is difficult to express ideas in a developed manner. The 'step-back' given by having to wait for the next reply to a thread allows this to happen quite naturally.

The ideas of consciousness versus unconsciousness are something I don't have a background in and would only ever be guessing at where current thought is, so I appreciate what you are bringing. I think you've actually hit the crux of what I was saying in a round-about way.

True triggering is an unconscious act that has such a powerful effect that the response to it is uncontrollable. Triggering as it is being used in the vernacular at present is a much more watered down version that represents ultimately a 'choice' as to how to respond to a stimulus.

Road rage is a fantastic one because it is so common to so many of us. Despite what we so often tell ourselves it is entirely our choice as to how we react when someone cuts us up or some other breach of perceived road etiquette. I myself have on many many ocassions fallen prey to that red mist that descends. If one is self aware enough to reflect on those incidents later, we usually end up feeling foolish or guilty for how we reacted. The ability to bring that process forward to the present is a hugely important element required for a civilised society to function.

Some one call a snowflake?

Here I am, but I'm not triggered by any of this.

a reply to: verschickter

It sounds like that is coming from direct personal experience verchickter. It sounds like you are learning / have learnt some mechanisms to cope with your trauma (if it is indeed your own experience). I sincerely hope you can keep as well as possible.

My mother was abused as a child by her father and I have seen first hand how devastating the effects of re-emergence of unsynthesised trauma can be. With my mother we never fully found what her trauma triggers are but we believe it to be extreme stress (particularly financial worries). On two occasions in her life the resurgence has been powerful enough to put her in a near-catatonic state that has resulted in her being sectioned under the mental health act.

I wouldn't wish having to deal with those kind of traumas upon anyone.

a reply to: cheesyleps

It shows how people have become more and more prone to the very actions they hate in the media. They pick things up and are so non creative themselves they just run with anything new until it is worn to vapor thin!

Awwww, lets jazz it up with a equally ridiculous term the media likes to use though it was worn out decades ago..... how about 'Triggeredgate" ..

a reply to: Plotus

I do wonder sometimes whether modern journalists believe Nixon resigned over a water-based scandal. It's one of those tropes that you just don't understand how it survives. It isn't remotely witty or amusing.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

you are triggering me into pushing my PC screen

a reply to: cheesyleps
nevermind, seeing how this turns out, Iḿ pulling my lengthy private post because I feel it does not make any sense. I hope the ones that read it already learned something.

TLDR - The essence of the wall of text above:

Seldom it's words that trigger something. Mostly it's movements, smells, similar situations. Simple life things like someone clapping behind your ear or fast movements in your peripheral vision. No one can know that and thus the whole trigger-word debate is a bit over the top, too. I can't expect others to be careful all the time because they could trigger me or another one. I just expect others to take the damn thing serious and not label everyone who suffers under such conditions a "snowflake" or SJW. Thatś assholish. I was born in 1960 and I was definitely not raised as a special snowflake, the contrary...

a reply to: cheesyleps

Earthquakes trigger tsunamis.

You're so selfish

His flatulence triggered an avalanche

I understand now, the very fabric of reality will be shredded in short order due to words and memes. The world had a thought provoking conversation that lasted the better part of two decades, then bam.

Still fun to read and watch.

You have a good point OP.

a reply to: ColaTesla

Oh, so you're just attacking the OP calling him a snowflake? Well, thanks for stopping by! Your contribution has been noted!

a reply to: cheesyleps

Yes, and would gladly add some other words on to the list that I won't use!

haters
shaming

So sick of the words people toss out, to make someone look like a victim! Sure there are others, but drawing a blank for the moment.

a reply to: cheesyleps

I really don't like the overuse of the "trigger warning" label as well.

I read a FB post the other day and it was about a horrific murder currently in the news. It read "TRIGGER WARNING

a reply to: verschickter


From the other thread.... Born in 60's eh? My brothers were born in the 60's, they're pussies, if they had to do what I did in Africa or had seen what I had seen or been involved in, they would be dead or catatonic. Ten years can make a big difference, even with the same parents. As far as the trauma you speak of being no one's business, fair enough, I respect that, because there are things I couldn't even talk about without tearing up.

However, starting a thread without giving any information in this case is like me saying, "I have this physics problem and a need a solution, but I can't tell you what the problem is, but I need help figuring it out." It's plain dumb to expect some kind of resolve to an issue with no information.

I got past most of my sh#t by writing a book. Of course it did drop me into a bit if hot water with the Intel community, having nine natsec statutes assigned to one is not helpful ;-) I would suggest however, if you have unresolved trauma, write it down. Put your daemons on paper and give them a different life, thereby in a sense giving them an exorcism. It really is cathartic and a good form of therapy. Only you can fix you.

Cheers - Dave