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Most people who suffer PTSD also have trauma triggers. One of mine was seeing men with furrowed brows. My heart rate would surge, my palms would sweat, and I want to run, even though I know my fear is irrational.

Sounds familiar?

Per Wikipedia:

Because triggers are so scary and unpleasant, many of us want to run as far away from them as we can, but the more we try to avoid a trigger, the bigger and scarier the trigger gets. Research shows that avoidance of triggers increases the likelihood that the affected person will develop a disabling level of PTSD.

On top of it, many of us “run” through unhealthy means. We might try to numb out by using drugs, alcohol, binge eating, or we might try to distract ourselves through engaging in social media, playing video games, watching TV, overworking, or overexercises. The list goes on.

Avoiding irrational fear makes the fear bigger over time because the brain learns to associate avoidance with safety. If you heed what the fear tells you and run away from what makes you anxious, for example, a dog, a social situation, and nothing bad happens (which is the case, of course, since the fear was irrational), the brain starts to associate safety with your avoidance and the fear gains ground. As the fear eats away more and more of your freedom, your life gets smaller and smaller.

To counter irrational fear, you must do the opposite by gradually training yourself to sit with the discomfort and allow yourself to get closer to what you fear.

In this episode, I share how what research tells us about trigger formation and how you can practice removing triggers in the safety of your own home.

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In our women-only coaching group, we share our personal experiences with triggers, how it impacts us, and what helps us get better. The ladies tell me that sharing their experience with a safe group is in itself healing, and they enjoy learning from others who have encountered similar challenges.