What Triggers Your EFs?

[melere]

Mine:

-The faintest whiff of criticism.
-If someone even disagrees with an opinion sometimes (though this has improved thank gods).
-Yelling/outbursts of anger.
-Crying, unfortunately.
-Being cussed at/made fun of in a friendly or non-friendly way.
-Making a mistake.
-Not knowing what to do.
-People who remind me of FOO/toxic people in general/my actual FOO.
-Trying to get medical treatment. Even if they're nice I'm still left in pieces but apathetic doctors or people who don't understand the severity of the problem (because I'll find myself downplaying my problem automatically) are huge, huge triggers.
-THINKING I'm not liked. If I find I'm not liked for real, I'm not particularly bothered. It's just the threat of it!

I'm sure there are more to discover but that's off the top of my head.

[Healing Finally]

~ Toxic people 
~ Being misunderstood
~ Being blamed for something I didn't do
~ Seeing people act in a selfish way
~ Listening to people who aren't compassionate
~ My own personal critic
~ Having to do someone else's work
~ Being bullied

[ah]

Have been giving this question more thought, and I noticed my list of triggers keeps changing.

Something that wasn't triggering yesterday can easily become triggering today, all it takes is for it to be paired for a moment with self hatred, or a moment of trauma or new abuse, and voila! I got a new trigger.
It's like it gets "stamped" and my mind recognizes it as a new trigger, and adds it to the ever growing pile of neutral, innocuous looking objects and experiences that have each suddenly exploded and turned into new triggers.

And sometimes I can desensitize myself so a trigger becomes less hurtful and I can become less involved in it. It turns back from a trigger to just an ordinary object or experience.

I'm not sure what's at the basis of all of that pile of triggers. Self hatred, maybe?

[Shankara]

Dominant/ aggressive people ( Especially those with certrain traits that give me the feeling of being inferior).  I usually react vy either being aggressive or simetimes giving in. Because I fear that someday I will be punished

[James]

Angry people
People specifically angry at me - this is probably my worst trigger to an EF
When someone finds out I've done something wrong
Pretty much all authority figures
Knowing that friends or family are out doing something and I'm home alone
Feeling like I'm a burden to people
Having to ask for help
Having to admit that I have emotional/anxiety problems

[Seeking Solace]

More often than not, I wake up with an EF from sleeping. I don't remember any actual 'nightmare' most times, but occasionally I will wake up in full-blown frustration, anger, rage or in a complete shut-down mode where I am afraid to make myself known so I don't really speak - only when required - I don't volunteer anything. My desired super power is invisibility on those painful mornings.

Having read many of the triggers below, I can relate to many of them... but find it very hard to articulate them, let alone identify them for myself.
It's almost like someone somewhere has dictated that I don't have a right to notice my own feelings.

I am new -- just joined and this is my first post. I will introduce myself in another post, hopefully soon.

[Blueberry]

Any contact with adults in FOO whatsoever, including thinking about them, especially when thinking about how to explain to them how badly they damaged me.

Explaining same to other disbelievers and/or sceptics.

[Andyman73]

Hi  and welcome, Seeking Solace.

[Rowan]

Triggers
Antiseptic
High frequency sounds
Being late
When FOO call me
When FOO don't call me (Stockholm)
Being ignored
Feeling ignored/disregarded/unheard
Seeing emotional abuse occurring
Anything (literally) to do with medical/dental professions or concerns that they may need to be involved
Feeling judged/criticised/blamed
Feeling that I should have done something and self criticising
Seeing someone else being judged/criticised
'Death talk' - partly because of the professions involved, partly because of unresolved grief by littles.
Dysphoria.
Public showers/bathrooms.

My, what a list...



Rowan

[Boatsetsailrose]

Dominant and loud people
Something a bit tricky in a relationship
Work pressure
Stress
Something happening in my life which rocks the boat eg work, money

Its a great question and i don't always know but often it is interpersonal issues

[sigiriuk]

The most prominent at the moment, is a feeling of being physically restrained, every time I have to do a job/task/goal.
Had it most of my life.

[Boatsetsailrose]

Slim I think I relate to this...

[Lillian]

I was only recently diagnosed, though I've suspected for a long time that I have CPTSD. I'm trying to recognize my triggers, and right now it's a pretty long list.

- needing help from others/feeling vulnerable/feeling like a burden
- adults who are angry, especially if I perceive them to have more power than me
- not feeling heard or feeling misunderstood
- any reminders of my FOO, especially my mom, stepdad or my little brother (I felt unable to protect him)
- when people celebrate mothers/Mother's Day
- when people talk about how hard it is to be a mom
- hearing/seeing children cry, especially the really heavy sobbing
- witnessing or hearing about physical or emotional abuse towards children
- Christianity, churches, people talking about God or religion
- feeling like I've done something wrong or made a mistake
- feeling like someone is upset or angry with me
- people who dominate the conversation with strong opinions
- when someone demands something of me
- any sort of verbal or physical violence/ conflict of any kind
- speaking up for myself
- being ignored/abandoned
- feeling angry/sad/or tired
- feeling criticized
- physical exercise/food/people talking about dieting
- when people show their displeasure with their faces
- being in a relationship/having to trust that they are safe
- forced physical contact
- sex
- the news
- yelling
- people in positions of authority
- pruney fingers (we were often left in the bathtub for hours at a time)
- being made fun of
- other people's expectations
- being clumsy (dropping something or tripping/falling)
- children being silly or loud
- people justifying spanking
- good-looking men
- sensory issues: socks, pants, suddenly feeling hot or itchy

I'm hesitating to post this because I'm embarrassed that the list is so long. But I'm working on that self-criticism piece and trying to remind myself that it's okay and I'm working on it. If you read all of that, thanks for listening 

[Blueberry]

Welcome to the forum Lillian!

Please don't feel embarrassed by your long list. At least half of your triggers are mine as well and I have other ones on top of that.  I simply cannot write a list of my triggers, I can just write one or two and then I go blank.

[Lillian]

Thank you, Blueberry! I love how supportive everyone is here. It feels safe