We need to "normalize" folks who don't avoid their triggers. By normalize I mean people need to be nicer and also just more willing to admit they exist.
Everywhere emphasizes avoiding triggers as a trauma response, but that isn't always a guarantee. Hell, trauma disorders diagnostic criteria always seem to focus so heavily on "do you avoid things that remind you of your trauma? Do you avoid reminders of the incident? Do you avoid things that trigger you?"
But what about people who don't? People who can't?
What about those whose triggers are everyday things they physically can't avoid? Things they live with?
What about those who have become dissensitized to their triggers from forced exposure? Those who have disassociated from the trauma and are now numb to it? Or are too disassociated to be aware if their triggers?
Those who have so many triggers they can't tell what's triggering them?
Those who can't place what they are feeling? Who have general anxiety and can't always tell if it's a trauma response or just anxiety? Those who struggle with reading their own emotions? Those who got used to feeling uncomfortable/on edge/ anxious and got used to it or can't tell when something is actively triggering them?
Hell, what about those whose (unhealthy) coping mechanism is purposefully seeking out their triggers? Whether they are doing it to be self destructive, dont believe they are traumatized, are trying to "get over it", etc. They deserve support too.
Sorry for a bit of a rant, it just gets annoying seeing the emphasis on "if it traumatized you, you'd avoid things that remind you of it" everywhere including in medical environments.
As someone who has a bad habit of seeking out my triggers, for the longest time I used that as "proof" that I hadn't experienced trauma. Because everything was telling me that if I was traumatized, I'd avoid it. So I sought it out to prove I wasn't and to "get over it" since it wasn't "a big deal" since I was willing to expose myself to it. Even now, sometimes I still do this or do it to purposefully trigger myself. But it feels so isolating when even medical environments emphasize avoidance so much. It makes denial pretty easy and sometimes makes me feel "broken", you know?
Anyways...this rant got away from me and turned a bit more personal than intended.
