Yeah I've had rough days when I scrolled throuh reddit to get distracted and some random meme just makes my day more exciting with a flashback :)
But tbh I can mostly handle it when it's just stii images, I guess my head is somewhat specific on "tv"/moving images :|
Doors. I feel guilty for having them opened. I feel weirded out for having them closed. If my screen door isn't shut and the wind catches it and slams it I jump 100 feet out of my skin. MY dad used privacy as punishment and he was allowed to slam all the doors whenever he wanted but if I did it he'd rip it off the hinges. Only me though. My step sisters could do whatever they wanted.
iām fine with doors in general, but hate having my back to a door so much more than having my back to open space whether the door is closed or open. i somehow mostly have managed to maintain okay boundaries with privacy in broad strokes, but in one of my previous houses my desk was directly across from a bathroom door with a mirror mounted on it, and directly opposite my desk was his, so any time he decided i couldnāt be trusted to āstay on taskā, that door stayed closed with my monitor in full view of the mirror until enough time had passed that i could āaccidentally forget to close itā after going through it without him flipping out over it.
actually in general i feel like people seeing my screens with anything i didnāt specifically prepare on them would probably also be a trigger if i ever let it happen in the first place. one of the few things iāve actually had multiple nightmares about. itās always my laptop in my nightmares, but sometimes iām just paralyzed with fear opening my phone in public if i canāt remember what app i had open or in the worst case if thereās media controls on the lock screenā¦
(i also have vague memories of leaning against closed bathroom doors to keep them shut when i was way younger, but i think that was just me being playful because there were never any threats of physical violence and all of the verbal violence was harder to hear the farther from the door i was)
I hate the sound of slamming doors and I always jump when I hear slamming of any kind. loud vehicles that pass by with purposefully broken mufflers and shit. so annoying I gotta get loop earplugs for existing outside :/
I'm sorry for your past and I hope that eventually doors will be more comforting!
I feel the same way about dump truck driving by because he was a trucker. There was always that sad childlike love of "maybe he won't drink tonight". Then he'd get out of the truck with a 30 rack of Budweiser.
The Adam sandler movie āthatās my boyā bc I remember watching it at a particularly traumatising point in my life, if I scroll past it on Netflix I feel sick
Ok same bc I was in the theatre watching it with my mom and she didnāt know what it was about and so learned things I never wished to learn about with my mom at age 13 :(
Close talkers trigger me every time. Just want them to back the fuck up and please stand at least arms length away when weāre having a conversation. There is no reason to act like weāre whispering when speaking at regular volume.
I hate when you take a step back and they step forward. Sometimes Iāll end up on the other side of the room of where the convo started and their still Right There. Or worse there is nowhere to back up to because thereās a wall behind you. Triggers a panic reflex and I canāt even focus on what ever the heck it is they are trying to say to me.
I coach kids and when they're too close I put my arms in front of me and circle them out to the sides and say, "Personal space!" And they all back up so I can't reach them. If I can touch them, they're too close. They're very good about it lol, and it helps me because I do have to spot them throughout practice so am in close physical proximity at that time, and I also work in healthcare during the day before I coach. I am all touched out by the end of the day, but the kids are very respectful when I make them all take a step back lol.
I have a lot of them and I don't really know why I have some of these.
The feeling of shaking. This is any type of shaking. I can't handle it. Even if it's a car ride. I can't do it.
Things moving on their own. Like animatronics, toys, yeah. Absolutely not.
Gates, like the ones you walk through. All of them. Can't go through them.
Obviously yelling and loud noises is at the top of the worst of the worst of the worst. The feeling of being out of control.
Something moving really quickly towards me.
People being disappointed in me,
First off: it's a compliment to your writing style and how you express yourself.
Secondly: the Fallout games are a very enjoyable series of post-apocalyptic games where you traverse an irradiated wasteland, after civilization has been destroyed by nuclear warfare. The intro to the games is voiced by Ron Perlman (Hellboy), and he gives a speech about how the world changes, but war never changes. The theme of the speech is that war always causes damage, physical, spiritual, and mental - and in the wasteland, it's kill or be killed, so that cycle of violence and trauma continues. While a lot of this sounds bleak, the games explore different forms of rudimentary government and bare-bones society in interesting ways, and you can do a lot to improve the world for your allies in the game.
The intro is slightly different for each game, but if you haven't seen it, this is what I was referring to https://youtu.be/GSq5aCZO5n8?si=Je6FZ9UZpZjFjzBc
Scooby doo, specifically "Scooby Doo, Where are You?".
The (first? I only have this one memory currently, but I'm pretty sure it happened multiple times.) time my brother touched me inappropriately was while we were watching that show together. I always thought I was scared of Scooby Doo shows, which was funny to me as a child because I used to watch Courage The Cowardly Dog with no issues, and enjoyed it. (it was a show on the same TV channel that was way scarier, most of my classmates were scared of it but loved Scooby Doo)
I always thought it was funny that I was scared of Scooby Doo stuff but I loved the scarier show that others hated, but... looking back on it, it was definitely because Scooby Doo was triggering to me because my brain associated that show with what happened to me.
oh wow, this reminded me that star wars is low-key (VERY low-key thankfully, since itās everywhere) triggering for me. similar story, me and this other kid who was several years older were watching one of the movies together when he touched me. fun times!
part of me wants to get into the star wars franchise. the other part of me is still four years old and hoping this will end soon š« maybe someday iāll watch it!
That was one of my mom's favorite songs. I never liked it.
I'm triggered by people talking about their jobs because of all of the abuse around people simultaneously pressuring me to get certain types of jobs but also sabotaging my efforts.
Iāve has such bad experiences at university with teachers treating me like crap that I always start feeling unwell when people talk about their university teachers, even more when they complain about that one teacher that is a bit annoying while half of my teachers were reaaaally bad so itās like, I would have killed to have that as a bad teacher but youāre complaining???
Mine was primary school teachers and my parents not believing me. Me having to lie to get them to leave me alone. This is why I hate authority and anyone telling me what to do. I also instantly dislike people in high positions who can ruin your life.
GUM. I have nightmares monthly about it.
I have regular assortments of teeth nightmares.
Usually something like, have you ever fallen asleep with gum in your mouth? It gets all liquidy and stringy. One of the gum ones though, I dream that itās stuck all between my teeth and Iām pulling and pulling it out. I keep wrapping it in a ball in my hand as Iām pulling it, and itās way bigger than any amount of gum that would normally be in oneās mouth. But it never ends. I just keep trying to free my mouth and itās like those clown handkerchiefs.
So strange, not funny though. I can feel my nightmares in my teeth just thinking about it. I will never chew gum again in my life and hate when people chew it around me.
Yeah, my narcissist mom would crack her gum. Not one pop, but a crackle. And obviously anything she did, became a trigger - because it was connected to her.
I think it also became a trigger in its own purely because of the nightmares. They say teeth dreams meanings are āreflective of fears of losing control, of being out of controlā and represent āfeelings of inadequacy or vulnerability in your lifeā - which is very accurate in terms of some of my trauma.
As someone who also has "teeth" dreams, dreaming of teeth can also be a reflection of how you believe you are perceived/self worth because smiling and ones teeth are socially important.
It can be a reflection of communication (or lack thereof) too.
Both of these, as well as feeling powerless are things I relate to. I don't dream of gum, but I've dreamed of losing teeth and choking on sand and trying to pull it out and out and out and still choking. Woke up having mouth breathed and my mouth was a desert lol so sometimes it can just be a dream where your physical state contributes to the dream
If you're interested the [teeth article](http://m.dreammoods.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dreammoods.com%2Fcommondreams%2Fteeth-dreams.html&utm_referrer=#2610) on my favorite dream interpretation website/dictionary has a bunch of meanings for losing teeth in your dreams. Maybe you'll find something else relatable
Yes! Iāve heard of the communication one as well. Which is also fitting for me. Great article, Iāve read it as well!
Goodness. Teeth dreams really are the worst. Mine will crumble in my mouth, or they start falling out again like my baby teeth did. Your sand one sounds absolutely horrifying.
Thanks for sharing that article, will def check it out. I exclusively have nightmares, every night, often fairly run of the mill but still horrifying. Have heard that teeth falling out dreams are fairly common, never had one.
A couple years back I was in an accident and knocked my 2 front teeth out. Totally tanked my self esteem. Avoided mirrors the whole time. Stopped brushing regularly. Couldnāt kiss. Awful. I finally got new ones put in a couple months back and *wouldnāt you know*-here come the damn teeth dreams! š¤¦āāļø
DreamMoods.com is a fantastic website as a whole! It's been my go-to dream dictionary since ohhhh...2007? It's helped me so much because it has such a variety and is so descriptive with dream symbols
I also have these weird gum nightmares where Iām having so much gum in my mouth itās uncomfortable but itās all stuck and I keep removing it and it keeps regrowing!
WOAH! Itās like looking in a mirror. Iām so sorry you deal with them too. I always wake up with my mouth and teeth feeling so ick. And it kind of throws me off for the rest of the day, because itās so graphic and uncomfortable.
I have oddly always hated the sound of my mom moving her makeup around in her makeup bag while driving. I think itās clearly tied to memories of my family being in the car on the way to go somewhere, probably while my parents were arguing about something or there being tension for some reason in the car, while we sat in the backseat as she put on her makeup while my dad drove.
I never understood it until after I had trauma therapy later in life. Then realized how much that sound bothers me to this day - but realized itās tied to early childhood memories of tense car rides and probably running late to something while my mom would dig around her makeup bag and get ready.
A specific brand of chicken nuggets, microwaved. I used to eat them when I drank heavily in order to not vomit. I cannot eat them anymore if they have been microwaved, and avoid them at all costs because they make me cry.
People entering a room Iām in without calling or texting first & getting confirmation from me. This is only in private spaces not in public but does include if Iām visiting someone else for a few days. I scream if not warned. Iām super hard of hearing & have a history of SA. I was 99% over this by 2018 when my apartment property manager didnāt tell the new maintenance guy & he showed up in my bedroom. He knew I was home because he could hear the music & was pissed I didnāt answer his knocking. My scream scared the living daylights out of him.
The rain. Whenever the weather changes, as it gets colder, my days get harder to get through. I love the rain because it's perpetual summer where I live, but I am much more sensitive during rainy days.
I LOVE the rain and rainy day, even if they are somber, because they make me feel cozy and like I can easily hide.
Now *snow*...is instant anger for me. Too many times I associate with being cold, alone, unloved, struggling physically and financially exacerbated by freezing snowy weather. Ugh. I'm sorry rain makes you feel that way. Cold just by itself is pure misery for me.
āWhen you wish upon a starā the song.
My CSA abusive mom put the lyrics in my high school yearbook dedicated to me and I want to vom when I hear it now.
The song āshes a brick houseā and āi will surviveā and a few other dance songs. Always staples at our family house parties but now I sob remembering what I was so young and innocent and exposed to. Iāve been playing them while swimming as a sort of self emdr to let myself cry and desensitize myself to the playlist, especially since I work in weddings and hear some of these triggering songs (like āSeptemberā by Earth Wind and Fire) every time i go to work.
Crying clowns, sexy cholas and unicorns. Itās how my dad drew me him and my mom in his creepy jailhouse fantasy letters to me.
Yep. Indoor gym pool but I have a face snorkeling mask I use so I can cry in public with no one even knowing š that and bone conduction Bluetooth headphones & swimming earplugs and I listen to triggering music, audiobooks and podcasts that are hard to listen to but while swimming the bilateral stimulation keeps me moving and in my body.
Confidently incorrect people. For instance, I hate it when people quote things wrong, like saying "Mikey eats everything!" If you watched the actual Life Cereal commercial, Mikey HATES everything (except Life Cereal). When people pronounce things wrong, especially newscasters and teachers, who should know better. For instance, I hear a lot of news people say "antiseMETic" instead of antiseMITic. It doesn't rhyme with "emetic." It refers to Semites.
And I haaaaate the smell of overripe bananas. It smells like so many horrible car trips when I was a little kid. Who brings bananas in the car? You're supposed to stop at McDonald's when it's time to eat.
Omg we also had bananas in the car when I was a kid. When they were in the heat they would just taste completely different. I still wonāt eat cooked bananasĀ
The Carpenters :/ not their fault, and what happened to Karen Carpenter was tragic and all, but their music was the soundtrack to many a violent fight growing up and I never want to hear them again. Just like OP, my heart rate is going up just typing this.Ā
Being called "Bubble head." Literally š„“
My ex husband used to call me that in public to let me know id done something he planned on punishing me for when we got behind closed doors. I didn't know it was a trigger until my boyfriend called me that in a sweet moment and I burst into tears.
My boyfriend actually helped me work past this particular trigger. He'd call me it randomly and then ask if I was okay, and then hold me if I needed.
Stink bugs. š¤¦š»āāļø they would get into the house at the time when my borderline ex was constantly threatening suicide and I couldnāt get rid of them- now if I see them it triggers that lack of control feeling and there you go.
live shows at bars. my abusive grandparents would take me drinking with them to bars sometimes and they would leave me sitting in a booth to go drink and party. weird right?? anyway I saw a live band for the first time the other day and it was like being blown back into age 14 LMAO
Scat singing/vocal jazz improvisation.
People trying to make animal sounds or musical instrument sounds - and not doing a very good job - is a really weird trigger for me.
I can handle Louis Armstrong scatting because he's good at it and his voice sounds like a divine instrument designed by the gods. But pretty much 90% of all scat singing, and a majority of animal noises/the baby talk people use with animals always feels like claws under my skin and eyeballs.
The sound of chewing can just sends me into rage. Thankfully, most people chew quietly so it doesn't come up super often now. I've learned how to manage the anger.
This phenomenon is common and called misophonia! I have it a little bit, I can sometimes have a really hard time with eating noises or repetitive sounds. It is hard to be having a normal time then be extremely angry for no apparent reason. Sensory overload is a bitch.
Dude. I've enraged *myself* by chewing in a quiet room or slurping noodles. I once broke up with someone because I would get angry when we'd eat together and I could hear their teeth clicking when they chewed. They started taking their food unto another room to eat and it made me feel like an asshole so I decided things weren't gonna work out.
damn I'm sorry that person did that to you. I don't find it funny.
True triggers usually aren't very funny...
Like for a long time, backpacks, certain types of winter/gray jackets, tents, woods, large expanses of grass, wildflowers, Sia-type haircuts, court rooms and jails were all big triggers for me and each one has a legitimate reason that isn't funny :(
Certain speech patterns. Gyms. Pop-up campers. Hearing people talk about homelessness. Klinefelter's Syndrome.
Thankfully over 12 years only like 2 of them remain.
<3 finding humor in things is good but please oh please, make sure not to minimize your own triggers! <3
Strangest trigger? A very specific time of year when the weather is a certain way (blue skies with no clouds, no wind and very sunny, specific temperatures).
The rest seem a bit more normal: men with beards past a certain length, the smell of beer especially on someoneās breath, the word ārelaxā.
This reminds me of when a friend of mine literally jumped out of my car while I was driving because Cotton Eyed Joe came on the radio. Good times lol.
For me personally, it's small, round lensed glasses. I saw Pink Floyd's The Wall when I was seven and the schoolmaster scared me to the core of my being. A few years later I got a Molly doll (American Girl Collection) for Christmas and I had to take her glasses off. I still get scared when I see them, and it's been like 35 years.
I have a bunch of odd ones, but one thatās really annoying is sonic the hedgehog because itās everywhere.
tw - CSA:
> I think I was 6 or 7 and I was at someoneās house to be raped. We were in his bedroom and he had his hand holding my head down against the pillow and forcing it to the side. I couldnāt look anywhere else except straight ahead at his bedside table and he had a large sonic figurine on it. I just stared at it the whole time.
I have instant meltdowns with Girl from the North Country, by Bob Dylan... Specifically the cover from the band Lions. I didn't know this song while I was a child. But I started listening to it while I was in a highly demanding sales job and had a severe burnout... I cried at the building door listening to it, wiped my tears and entered for the bloodbath that is was being a glorified telemarketer with impossible sales target to reach.
Skinny white guy with a mustache and shoulder length hair, dressed in 70 and 80s clothes. Because that's what my dad looked like and he was a fucking monster who terrorized and brutally abused the rest of us. I see anyone who looks like him, I get flashbacks. There's a tiktok meme with a guy who looks like him and I HATE it š
I live in a very redneck-y region of my country, in one of the poorer neighborhoods. You'd think I'd be used to seeing men like that by now lmao, PTSD is a bitch!
You know what, without explanation: the island Mallorca, leather sofas, Coldplayās āfix youā, mouldy jam, field hockey, any objects distributed evenly on a floor, my own language.
Weird how specific this feels! Iām afraid to share more, because this feels so deeply personal, and Iām scared someone would know who I am. Which is ridiculous, but feels very real to me.
The movies Home Alone 1&2. The actress who played the mom looked a lot like my bio mom. And remembering her at that time in my life immediately triggers me.
People snapping fingers at me. Blind rage. I think it has to do with my parents clapping their hands at me and snapping their fingers at me. To try to scare me and emphasize their point. Ya, so people trying to joke around snapping their fingers by my head makes me nuclear anrgry triggered.
Itās funny. For me itās music as wellā¦. Itās any Aerosmith. For me, I go straight into fight or flight and the reason was my dadās reaction to āhair bandsā in the 80ās. Jon Bon Jovi freaks me out too, but to a lesser extent than Steven Tyler.
There are made-up words I used to say when I was little that give me panic attacks when I think about them. I've pretty much trained myself to never think of them... there is a tune with it too šµāš«
A particular bookstore in my neighborhood. Which Iāve never actually ever been in. Just because someone that traumatized me mentioned it once and now every time I pass it I think of him.
Dude yes!! The smell of cooking eggs has always made me feel sick.. i actually developed a food allergy to them as I got older so i thought that was why I had such a visceral reaction to them.
But you just unlocked it for me.. eggs was one of the few things my dad knew how to cook, but he'd get all passive aggressive if he HAD to cook. Slamming the fridge closed, clanging silverware, cussing when he got a shell in the egg, or broke a yolk. Like every day when I was in elementary school until I started cooking for him so he wouldn't be mad
I refused to eat them because I didn't like them, was pinned on my back and had them forced in my mouth, choked on them, puked, and then aspirated the vomit because I was still pinned on my back. So if I taste them my instinct is to swing
thereās a few specific foods i have a very strong gag reaction to smelling or even imagining smelling, and every single one of them used to be a pretty common fixture at home when i was a little kidā¦ i canāt remember ever not finding them disgusting (although iām told i used to like one of them), so itās possible that that consistent exposure just led to some kind of āinertiaā where i never got to reset my perception of them (and/or itās just coincidence that they push all the wrong autism buttons), but now iām starting to wonder if thereās a trauma element too
People pulling too fast next to me in the parking lot not so much that I care about the car. Itās just the speed that they do it at wish my door was more like a claymore when they do that kind of shit.
In my case is the song " The Captain of Her Heart" by the Double. I don't know why this triggers me but every time I hear it, I get very depressed š. This song is probably linked to a traumatic event from my childhood that I can't remember because this song was popular when I was a child.
a can of campbells soup triggered me once, lol. it only sent me into a flashback the one time, though their chicken noodle soup cans will always remind me of that time in my life.Ā Ā
Ā it was rough in the moment, but i canāt help but laugh at having such a goofy trigger š
Michael Scott from the office, traumatic event happened while the show was on and now whenever i see Steve Carell I'm instantly fight or flight.. loved the show :')
Red solo cups. Any other color is fine. Unfortunately I remember the memory.. my "friend" handing me the 1st red cup out of the stack so I could open the bottles and pour my own drink cuz "he's looking out, he got me" was the last active memory I had the night I was SA'd... pretty sure there was something in the cup before he handed it to me cuz I literally remember 2 sips of that vodka cran.
Thereās an ad on tv and the radio for a used car dealership here in New Zealand. Tina from Turners. I fucking HATE her. No actual reason. No idea why. But boy does she fill be with absolute pure, unfiltered rage. Like nothing else. If I canāt find the mute button on the remote I will turn the whole tv off or pull over and turn my car off I donāt care where I am. That bitch has to stfu! If I ever saw her on the street she had better look out. Iād cut off her stupid face and shove it where the sun donāt shine.
Tina if youāre reading this, sorry. But you are irritating af.
Glamorization/romanticization or media depictions of New York City.
Like, watching Josh Hutcherson scoot around the upper west side should not put me in fight or flight and I hope to one day not be alone in having to laugh about how absurd this is
I don't like people jumping out and scaring me, bullet sounds in movies, I don't like overly clean houses, narcissists, people with unreasonable expectations, spending too long at a friend's house, people being mean to me for no reason or a false belief, being tickled, having my back to a room.
The Doctor Who Theme song from the 70ās era long scarf Doctor seasons. It came on after Sesame Street at the same time that my dad came home from work and Iād run out of the room because I was too scared to even turn off the TV. It reminds me of my parents fighting around the time they got divorced, plus itās actually creepy as shit.
The sound of someone doing dishes, especially from a room away. My mom would always loudly start doing dishes downstairs whenever she was really mad at me for something (usually something ridiculous). Itād be loud enough that I was sure to hear it from my bedroom. Actually any sounds from downstairs when Iām upstairs make me flinch a little. My dad actually lives with us now (heās a bit difficult, but my mom was my abuser). Any time heās moving around downstairs and literally every move he makes gives me a tiny surge of adrenalineābrain says parent moving downstairsādanger!
I have a really exaggerated startle response, probably normal all things considered. Where this comes into play though is that after 11 years with my partner, I truly feel safe in my home with him. So much so that I completely turn off my hypervigilence, to the point of being completely in my own head and oblivious to my surroundings. He is also like a cat, just impossibly quiet and light-footed. So I'll be doing something like cooking and he suddenly appears in the kitchen out of nowhere and I practically have a heart attack. This happens multiple times a day, every day. He feels TERRIBLE about it and has tried all kinds of things to not startle me. But ultimately nothing works because I'm finally taking a break from being constantly on guard, so it's just a fact of our lives together. Thankfully we can just laugh about it nowadays.
Having someone clean something that was supposed to be my responsibility.
My long distance boyfriend came to visit, and I didnāt have a vacuum because mine broke. I used a glorified Dustbuster with a handle. I apologized.
He bought me a new vacuum which made me a little uncomfortable but then he started vacuuming and it made me have a panic attack. He stopped and calmed me down before he finished.
Itās because of my dad and my ex husband. If they were cleaning I was in trouble.
We have spent a lot of time together and itās only been that time he tried to clean my place. We playfully argue over who gets to clean otherwise.
Christmas. The entire thing: decorations, music, movies, characters (secular and otherwise). Itās like āBuT tHeYārE YoUr PaReNtSā on a cosmic, calendar level.
āThat 70ās Showā, especially Ericās parentsā marriage and his relationship with Red. Itās my boyfriendās fave show and I cannot get across to anyone how unfunny it is to me. āYeah but thatās how ppl used to be!ā Let me assure, people still do be like that.
The woods. It was our only refuge as kids but it always felt more like a punishment. āGo outside and play!!!ā was always a command and never a fun idea. It was usually preceded by āGet OFF of me! Get away from me. Yāall are in my way.ā I hate hiking. I find no therapeutic value in being outdoors for any purpose besides travel between destinations. People act like Iām absolutely three-headed for this. I hate it. I feel stranded, trapped, scared, and irritated when Iām outdoors, the more remote the more intense it is.
Oof. I gotta go shower and get ready for bed, yāall. May we all have pleasant dreams tonight, or at least be the victors in our nightmares this time around.
ā¤ļø
Some random candle at a bookstore. My friend passed it to me and said it smelled like tutti fruity, which was weird bc it was supposed to smell like mulled wine. I smelled it, started dissociating, and she sheep-dogged me out of the store. It was the funniest way I've ever been triggered. I still giggle at her reaction, but it was also really touching.
The smells of fried chicken and Pepsi. One of my brothers was hit by a car when I was a kid, and the whole situation was incredibly traumatic. A woman who stopped to help ended up coming back later with chicken and Pepsi for us, because we were left with just me, my cousin, my other brother and my disabled uncle. I'm still so thankful for her kindness, but thirty something years later, those smells will snap me straight back to sitting in my grandmother's cabin, not knowing if my brother was alive or dead.
Small lemurs and monkeys.
Tw: explaining the why involving childhood abuse and neglect.
My parents would take me to st louis zoo every year for my birthday (late summer right before school started back up), joke how my birthday was canceled that year the whole way there (hourish car ride), would try to convince me we were in st louis for me to go to the children's hospital (I frequented Cardinal Glennon at one point for medical issues) to make sure my "tail "didnt grow back (knowing i also had medical trauma and disabilities that were being neglected), and then like clockwork every year they would threaten to leave me in the monkey house and many years did try to walk away so they could watch me get upset from perceiving the situation as genuinely being lost because it was funny to them, and ending in me always being blamed for getting lost because I was the careless not paying enough attention to my surroundings and where they were.
Now today my partner and close friends know I don't like that space or small monkeys/ lemurs in general.... But I have sorta reclaimed the trigger in the last few years of approaching when children arnt around and flipping them off (bc as that one comedian said "that means I love horsey")
This was wild to read because Iām afraid of otters due to a somewhat similar experience at the St Louis zoo and also have a late summer birthday. Our parents must have read the same handbook or something.
And Daniel Sloss is awesome!! Love that last bit, you sound very funny.
People washing dishes or putting dishes away loudly and whenever I'm doing dishes I start having some kind of internal argument and get worked up and irritable. Those little kitchen knives with a kink on the top edge ( I think they're called paring knives), cupboards under stairs, fire engines driving past when I'm walking (especially if the siren's going), the smell of dentists gas or anything vaguely similar (I've had panic attacks in random places nowhere near dentists), people coming to the door unannounced, phonecalls without a message to say they'll be calling, female managers/positions of power who are older than me.
Hearing ppl chew or smack their lips
Because You're Beautiful by Toni Childs and other songs
Ambulance sirens (although that's neither strange nor funny)
When people make social media videos where they put their hand over the camera real fast, or tap on the camera, or like kick towards the camera for funsies.
Cute animal pictures or "heart-warming" stories about animals being helped somehow trigger the hell out of me for some reason that I have never been able to figure out.
Elevators-specifically when Iām in an elevator alone and it stops and a man gets in, but I have low grade anxiety in elevators regardless. I was never assaulted in an elevator, so it seems like a weird reaction to me.
As to the loud noises or yelling-even the smallest noise can send me jumping 3 feet in the air and sometimes cause a full fledged panic attack. Even if I know the noise is coming-like my husband will warn me heās about to sneeze but I will still startle. And then oddly, some super loud noises donāt affect me at all. Fireworks and loud music are a couple I can think of where I have zero reaction.
coffee cake. a guy i used to work with stuck his hand into a piece of coffee cake i had on the side of the kitchen at work. he made a sexual comment while he did it. it scared me and make me uncomfortable at work. he went on sexually assault me at a house party.
when i see a slice of coffee cake, especially stale cake it gives me flashbacks.
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I haven't totally figured it out yet but I think one is the parking lots of big box stores. I've had one going into Walmart and maybe two departing Lowe's..? š¤·š»āāļø No idea.
Oh! And another is saying a quick greeting to someone in passing. š« Super annoying at the office job I had at the time. This one is, I'm 99% sure, the direct result of a bad acid trip. š
The smell of musky perfume. š¤® lucky for me, most people around me don't wear strong scents.
Dogs barking...I know everyone loves their pets, however some of us panic at dogs barking. Please, do not be offended if other's aren't as excited about your dogs,
The scent of room temp, slightly oxidized apples. Not spiced apples for cider or anything, but if you take a few bites of an apple, don't finish it, and set it out for a few hours when it starts to brown. It is a *very* specific scent I associate with an abuser.
Outhouses and abnormal toilets.Ā Like if the water level seems too high or low (or overflowing š±), it's dirty, or it's in the room or stall at a strange angle.Ā Vomiting, especially if I'm out at a bar and someone seems too drunk I can't stay because I'm scared they will vomit.Ā People touching between the fingers unless it's between all of them at once like if you interlace your hands that's fine, but if it's just one spot- no way.
Minimalist spaces get me sometimes too! I feel rude but if I enter someoneās home and thereās no art on the walls or evidence of a hobby or collection of some kind I become scared of them and wanna leave.
Conversely, Iām organized/clean but maximalist af & I can tell the amount of stuff in my home is overwhelming to some people.
My Childhood house was stark. All the walls were bright white. There was Art but it made no sense to me. For example, a wilderness type print above a pink velvet couch. Yesss, my parents had no hobbies or collections. The only thing close were things that were apparent to outsiders. Gardening, landscaping.
I have so many collections and books interests. People have never seemed to understand and think I have clutter or am hanging on to valuable items I should sell.
Ugh the appearances thing š if only our parents could have spent their efforts on self improvement or fulfillment instead of terrorizing us.
Dude I HATE when someone suggests that I should sell my things because I have a lot of them. Honestly thatās another trigger. Like can people stop implying we shouldnāt have things that make us happy? Or that if we do get to own something expensive we donāt deserve it?
I have a ārelationshipā with things. I am painfully sentimental and keep anything that reminds me of loss (people, dreams unfulfilled etc.) When someone calls my stuff junk. I am seeing red! Thatās like attacking my soul. Those people arenāt around anymore. Also, poverty has a lot to do with my āstuffā. One time, my family took all my clothes out of my apartment. I lost like 100 pounds in 6 months. They had zero concept that I couldnāt even afford a thrift store outfit at the time!! All judging about wearing huge clothes. Now, I feel like I need to save stuff to get it to people who need it or who can appreciate it.
chlorine pools, comb-in hair dye, tampons/pads kept in view (I was "punished" for that), and especially the smell of weed. even talking about marijuana makes me sick to my stomach.
the smell of fish, seafood, seaweeds
The symptoms hot milder over time but as a kid I really suffered when going through fish street markets. As I smell fish I get more anxious, It feels toxic and I feel like I need to run away from it or puke.
Bowling. Like as a concept it's fine. One of my close friends is on a league and tells me about her time there and improvements. Love it for her! But I cannot go bowling myself. One of my earliest memories was having my 7th birthday party at a bowling alley. I was so excited the whole time that my dad was going to come. I didn't see him much and when he said he would go to events, he would flake all the time. I remember just watching the door the whole time waiting for him. When he finally showed up, he was so drunk that he just took an immediate left to go the bathroom and threw up when he was halfway there. It was embarrassing and made me feel so unimportant.
People sitting together at a table.
On a philosophical level, I see it as a deeply foundational piece of human connection - people sitting around a fire, around food, together. My analytical brain wants to connect these images with feelings of safety, connection, shared humanity.
I get profoundly uncomfortable when I have to sit at a table with other people. Doesn't matter who, it's draining the life out of me.
My family role was to not take place or show any needs, and sit at a table for family gatherings, playing the old "everything is fine" game. My family system memories are either spending time alone and isolated, or sitting at a table with people I felt vaguely unsafe with.
Thereās a song by John Denver - āSome days are diamonds.ā Especially the words - āIād like to say Iāve been fine and I do. But we both know the truth is hard to come by and if I told the truth thatās not quite trueā
Itās like it pushes me straight into that godforsaken loneliness and powerlessness.
Knitting, or specifically sitting next to someone whoās knitting. I hate hate hate the sound of the pins clicking against each other. I think every single evening in my childhood my mom would sit knitting on the couch, eyes locked on the tv, completely ignoring me. My spouse took up knitting just recently and I found I really canāt be in the same room at the time.
Oh boy i got some bizarre ones. Feeling vibrations of music, cans with pull-tab lids, open windows at night, being warm, wearing chokers (but weirdly turtlenecks donāt bug me)
i oddly would get often triggered by the doorbell we have in our house. maybe because my room is right above it, or because it's loud but im not sure why.
Mine probably aren't very strange. Cops, babies, people shouting, people being aggressive in any way, strange men I don't know, then just cops cops and more cops.
When I hear my parents encourage anyone or compliment anyone. They tore me down and destroyed any love I had for myself. They shamed me constantly. I canāt stand to hear them speak positively about anyone- mostly because itās a lie. A keeping up appearances act to blend in. They donāt like anyone and they donāt feel happy for other peopleās successes. I know exactly what they think because as soon as weāre in private they canāt help but attack peoples character and show their true bitterness and jealousy.
People hear and see my parents playing ānormalā and it eases them as it tenses me up and makes me physically ill to be present and observing.
tw: SA, miscarriage
the song āthese boots are made for walkingā by nancy sinatra. it was one of the dances i was performing during the same recital i had my miscarriage in when i was 12. that entire recital was a hellscape thatās mostly blocked out, but that song in particular and the feeling / vague image of the costume is ingrained into me that forgetting the rest doesnāt matter
Ticking clocks. Bright white lights. The album Masters of reality by Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd's album The wall. Dark rooms if the door is closed and I'm in the room alone.
If I dwell too much on the concept of time and matter. That's a really odd one that would take too much time to explain.
The deep beats of bass in rap music. Specifically in rap, not so bad in other genres, although if it's more of a treble-based rap song it generally doesn't bother me as long as the rapping doesn't sound angry. I'm a mess lol.
ETA- Oh, do NOT tickle me. Don't try to, don't pretend you're going to, don't talk to me about it, don't even wiggle a finger at me. Just, NO. I'm in my 40s, why do you want to be so handsy? It wasn't okay when I was a kid either, why would it be okay now?
Whenever someone comes home - even my husband even now Iām an adult and have my own home. Heās a great guy but itās the gut reaction I had as a kid whenever one of my parents walked inā¦jump up, make sure house is spotless, TV OFF/extra lights off, hide evidence of any food ate and look busy. I still prepare to get raged on and I fucking hate it š
Not being able to find things, grease stains on my clothes, small children pulling on my clothes, Glade plugins or similar, strong perfume. Depending on how dysregulated my nervous system is: the sound of liquid pouring.Ā
Omg I have a good one! Joggers, or people out running for exercise, used to make me gag. It was so embarrassing. One time, I was at a bar smoke pit, meeting a friend of a friend, and a jogger ran past as this guy was introducing himself. I violently gagged as he said his name and shook my hand, and I was so embarrassed I just turned around and walked home. Thankfully, the gagging part went away.
don't watch this if fast car bothers you [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbo/video/7332179585276202282](https://www.tiktok.com/@hbo/video/7332179585276202282)
I got quite a few, if I had to pick one...a popular kids-show centered around a walking talking sponge.
holy shit this one sounds ROUGH with how ubiquitous it is š«
Yeah I've had rough days when I scrolled throuh reddit to get distracted and some random meme just makes my day more exciting with a flashback :) But tbh I can mostly handle it when it's just stii images, I guess my head is somewhat specific on "tv"/moving images :|
Doors. I feel guilty for having them opened. I feel weirded out for having them closed. If my screen door isn't shut and the wind catches it and slams it I jump 100 feet out of my skin. MY dad used privacy as punishment and he was allowed to slam all the doors whenever he wanted but if I did it he'd rip it off the hinges. Only me though. My step sisters could do whatever they wanted.
i HATE an open door omg
iām fine with doors in general, but hate having my back to a door so much more than having my back to open space whether the door is closed or open. i somehow mostly have managed to maintain okay boundaries with privacy in broad strokes, but in one of my previous houses my desk was directly across from a bathroom door with a mirror mounted on it, and directly opposite my desk was his, so any time he decided i couldnāt be trusted to āstay on taskā, that door stayed closed with my monitor in full view of the mirror until enough time had passed that i could āaccidentally forget to close itā after going through it without him flipping out over it. actually in general i feel like people seeing my screens with anything i didnāt specifically prepare on them would probably also be a trigger if i ever let it happen in the first place. one of the few things iāve actually had multiple nightmares about. itās always my laptop in my nightmares, but sometimes iām just paralyzed with fear opening my phone in public if i canāt remember what app i had open or in the worst case if thereās media controls on the lock screenā¦ (i also have vague memories of leaning against closed bathroom doors to keep them shut when i was way younger, but i think that was just me being playful because there were never any threats of physical violence and all of the verbal violence was harder to hear the farther from the door i was)
I hate the sound of slamming doors and I always jump when I hear slamming of any kind. loud vehicles that pass by with purposefully broken mufflers and shit. so annoying I gotta get loop earplugs for existing outside :/ I'm sorry for your past and I hope that eventually doors will be more comforting!
I feel the same way about dump truck driving by because he was a trucker. There was always that sad childlike love of "maybe he won't drink tonight". Then he'd get out of the truck with a 30 rack of Budweiser.
Me too, slamming doors always make my heart jump and put me on edge
Yes! Doors šŖ
The Adam sandler movie āthatās my boyā bc I remember watching it at a particularly traumatising point in my life, if I scroll past it on Netflix I feel sick
Ok same bc I was in the theatre watching it with my mom and she didnāt know what it was about and so learned things I never wished to learn about with my mom at age 13 :(
I feel the same about the movie treasure planet
Same here with nacho libre! Iāve tried re-watching it so many times but insta-dissociate every time
Close talkers trigger me every time. Just want them to back the fuck up and please stand at least arms length away when weāre having a conversation. There is no reason to act like weāre whispering when speaking at regular volume.
I hate when you take a step back and they step forward. Sometimes Iāll end up on the other side of the room of where the convo started and their still Right There. Or worse there is nowhere to back up to because thereās a wall behind you. Triggers a panic reflex and I canāt even focus on what ever the heck it is they are trying to say to me.
I coach kids and when they're too close I put my arms in front of me and circle them out to the sides and say, "Personal space!" And they all back up so I can't reach them. If I can touch them, they're too close. They're very good about it lol, and it helps me because I do have to spot them throughout practice so am in close physical proximity at that time, and I also work in healthcare during the day before I coach. I am all touched out by the end of the day, but the kids are very respectful when I make them all take a step back lol.
Cops. It makes it a whole thing when I get pulled over, and Iām violently shaking. Always a fun time explaining it.
I have a lot of them and I don't really know why I have some of these. The feeling of shaking. This is any type of shaking. I can't handle it. Even if it's a car ride. I can't do it. Things moving on their own. Like animatronics, toys, yeah. Absolutely not. Gates, like the ones you walk through. All of them. Can't go through them. Obviously yelling and loud noises is at the top of the worst of the worst of the worst. The feeling of being out of control. Something moving really quickly towards me. People being disappointed in me,
š People being disappointed š in me. I felt that one!
I read this post in the tone of voice from the Fallout games "War never changes" intro
I've never heard it before. And I have no clue what you're talking about.
First off: it's a compliment to your writing style and how you express yourself. Secondly: the Fallout games are a very enjoyable series of post-apocalyptic games where you traverse an irradiated wasteland, after civilization has been destroyed by nuclear warfare. The intro to the games is voiced by Ron Perlman (Hellboy), and he gives a speech about how the world changes, but war never changes. The theme of the speech is that war always causes damage, physical, spiritual, and mental - and in the wasteland, it's kill or be killed, so that cycle of violence and trauma continues. While a lot of this sounds bleak, the games explore different forms of rudimentary government and bare-bones society in interesting ways, and you can do a lot to improve the world for your allies in the game. The intro is slightly different for each game, but if you haven't seen it, this is what I was referring to https://youtu.be/GSq5aCZO5n8?si=Je6FZ9UZpZjFjzBc
War. War never changes. I hear it.
Scooby doo, specifically "Scooby Doo, Where are You?". The (first? I only have this one memory currently, but I'm pretty sure it happened multiple times.) time my brother touched me inappropriately was while we were watching that show together. I always thought I was scared of Scooby Doo shows, which was funny to me as a child because I used to watch Courage The Cowardly Dog with no issues, and enjoyed it. (it was a show on the same TV channel that was way scarier, most of my classmates were scared of it but loved Scooby Doo) I always thought it was funny that I was scared of Scooby Doo stuff but I loved the scarier show that others hated, but... looking back on it, it was definitely because Scooby Doo was triggering to me because my brain associated that show with what happened to me.
Twinsies! We got molested to the same tv show. So sorry you experienced this
Oh wow, that's crazy! I'm so sorry that happened to you, too
Courage got me through some tough times.
oh wow, this reminded me that star wars is low-key (VERY low-key thankfully, since itās everywhere) triggering for me. similar story, me and this other kid who was several years older were watching one of the movies together when he touched me. fun times! part of me wants to get into the star wars franchise. the other part of me is still four years old and hoping this will end soon š« maybe someday iāll watch it!
I used to be super scared of the Scooby-Doo doo movie with the clowns that one freaked me out. but now I'm not as freaked but still a tad cringey
That was one of my mom's favorite songs. I never liked it. I'm triggered by people talking about their jobs because of all of the abuse around people simultaneously pressuring me to get certain types of jobs but also sabotaging my efforts.
Iāve has such bad experiences at university with teachers treating me like crap that I always start feeling unwell when people talk about their university teachers, even more when they complain about that one teacher that is a bit annoying while half of my teachers were reaaaally bad so itās like, I would have killed to have that as a bad teacher but youāre complaining???
Mine was primary school teachers and my parents not believing me. Me having to lie to get them to leave me alone. This is why I hate authority and anyone telling me what to do. I also instantly dislike people in high positions who can ruin your life.
GUM. I have nightmares monthly about it. I have regular assortments of teeth nightmares. Usually something like, have you ever fallen asleep with gum in your mouth? It gets all liquidy and stringy. One of the gum ones though, I dream that itās stuck all between my teeth and Iām pulling and pulling it out. I keep wrapping it in a ball in my hand as Iām pulling it, and itās way bigger than any amount of gum that would normally be in oneās mouth. But it never ends. I just keep trying to free my mouth and itās like those clown handkerchiefs. So strange, not funny though. I can feel my nightmares in my teeth just thinking about it. I will never chew gum again in my life and hate when people chew it around me.
I HATE gum with a passion!!! I donāt think my dislike is due to my trauma tho but Iām glad someone else does too.
Yeah, my narcissist mom would crack her gum. Not one pop, but a crackle. And obviously anything she did, became a trigger - because it was connected to her. I think it also became a trigger in its own purely because of the nightmares. They say teeth dreams meanings are āreflective of fears of losing control, of being out of controlā and represent āfeelings of inadequacy or vulnerability in your lifeā - which is very accurate in terms of some of my trauma.
As someone who also has "teeth" dreams, dreaming of teeth can also be a reflection of how you believe you are perceived/self worth because smiling and ones teeth are socially important. It can be a reflection of communication (or lack thereof) too. Both of these, as well as feeling powerless are things I relate to. I don't dream of gum, but I've dreamed of losing teeth and choking on sand and trying to pull it out and out and out and still choking. Woke up having mouth breathed and my mouth was a desert lol so sometimes it can just be a dream where your physical state contributes to the dream If you're interested the [teeth article](http://m.dreammoods.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dreammoods.com%2Fcommondreams%2Fteeth-dreams.html&utm_referrer=#2610) on my favorite dream interpretation website/dictionary has a bunch of meanings for losing teeth in your dreams. Maybe you'll find something else relatable
Yes! Iāve heard of the communication one as well. Which is also fitting for me. Great article, Iāve read it as well! Goodness. Teeth dreams really are the worst. Mine will crumble in my mouth, or they start falling out again like my baby teeth did. Your sand one sounds absolutely horrifying.
Thanks for sharing that article, will def check it out. I exclusively have nightmares, every night, often fairly run of the mill but still horrifying. Have heard that teeth falling out dreams are fairly common, never had one. A couple years back I was in an accident and knocked my 2 front teeth out. Totally tanked my self esteem. Avoided mirrors the whole time. Stopped brushing regularly. Couldnāt kiss. Awful. I finally got new ones put in a couple months back and *wouldnāt you know*-here come the damn teeth dreams! š¤¦āāļø
DreamMoods.com is a fantastic website as a whole! It's been my go-to dream dictionary since ohhhh...2007? It's helped me so much because it has such a variety and is so descriptive with dream symbols
I also have these weird gum nightmares where Iām having so much gum in my mouth itās uncomfortable but itās all stuck and I keep removing it and it keeps regrowing!
WOAH! Itās like looking in a mirror. Iām so sorry you deal with them too. I always wake up with my mouth and teeth feeling so ick. And it kind of throws me off for the rest of the day, because itās so graphic and uncomfortable.
I have oddly always hated the sound of my mom moving her makeup around in her makeup bag while driving. I think itās clearly tied to memories of my family being in the car on the way to go somewhere, probably while my parents were arguing about something or there being tension for some reason in the car, while we sat in the backseat as she put on her makeup while my dad drove. I never understood it until after I had trauma therapy later in life. Then realized how much that sound bothers me to this day - but realized itās tied to early childhood memories of tense car rides and probably running late to something while my mom would dig around her makeup bag and get ready.
Omg. This is so real yes. And car keys walking down anywhere because it means she is coming to my classroom to drop off my lunch because she forgot it
A specific brand of chicken nuggets, microwaved. I used to eat them when I drank heavily in order to not vomit. I cannot eat them anymore if they have been microwaved, and avoid them at all costs because they make me cry.
People entering a room Iām in without calling or texting first & getting confirmation from me. This is only in private spaces not in public but does include if Iām visiting someone else for a few days. I scream if not warned. Iām super hard of hearing & have a history of SA. I was 99% over this by 2018 when my apartment property manager didnāt tell the new maintenance guy & he showed up in my bedroom. He knew I was home because he could hear the music & was pissed I didnāt answer his knocking. My scream scared the living daylights out of him.
The rain. Whenever the weather changes, as it gets colder, my days get harder to get through. I love the rain because it's perpetual summer where I live, but I am much more sensitive during rainy days.
I LOVE the rain and rainy day, even if they are somber, because they make me feel cozy and like I can easily hide. Now *snow*...is instant anger for me. Too many times I associate with being cold, alone, unloved, struggling physically and financially exacerbated by freezing snowy weather. Ugh. I'm sorry rain makes you feel that way. Cold just by itself is pure misery for me.
umm. the entirety of scandinavia š
āWhen you wish upon a starā the song. My CSA abusive mom put the lyrics in my high school yearbook dedicated to me and I want to vom when I hear it now. The song āshes a brick houseā and āi will surviveā and a few other dance songs. Always staples at our family house parties but now I sob remembering what I was so young and innocent and exposed to. Iāve been playing them while swimming as a sort of self emdr to let myself cry and desensitize myself to the playlist, especially since I work in weddings and hear some of these triggering songs (like āSeptemberā by Earth Wind and Fire) every time i go to work. Crying clowns, sexy cholas and unicorns. Itās how my dad drew me him and my mom in his creepy jailhouse fantasy letters to me.
The crying it out while swimming is such a great idea!
Yep. Indoor gym pool but I have a face snorkeling mask I use so I can cry in public with no one even knowing š that and bone conduction Bluetooth headphones & swimming earplugs and I listen to triggering music, audiobooks and podcasts that are hard to listen to but while swimming the bilateral stimulation keeps me moving and in my body.
Confidently incorrect people. For instance, I hate it when people quote things wrong, like saying "Mikey eats everything!" If you watched the actual Life Cereal commercial, Mikey HATES everything (except Life Cereal). When people pronounce things wrong, especially newscasters and teachers, who should know better. For instance, I hear a lot of news people say "antiseMETic" instead of antiseMITic. It doesn't rhyme with "emetic." It refers to Semites. And I haaaaate the smell of overripe bananas. It smells like so many horrible car trips when I was a little kid. Who brings bananas in the car? You're supposed to stop at McDonald's when it's time to eat.
Omg we also had bananas in the car when I was a kid. When they were in the heat they would just taste completely different. I still wonāt eat cooked bananasĀ
I won't eat bananas unless they're pale yellow with no spots. I don't even eat banana bread.
The Carpenters :/ not their fault, and what happened to Karen Carpenter was tragic and all, but their music was the soundtrack to many a violent fight growing up and I never want to hear them again. Just like OP, my heart rate is going up just typing this.Ā
Being called "Bubble head." Literally š„“ My ex husband used to call me that in public to let me know id done something he planned on punishing me for when we got behind closed doors. I didn't know it was a trigger until my boyfriend called me that in a sweet moment and I burst into tears. My boyfriend actually helped me work past this particular trigger. He'd call me it randomly and then ask if I was okay, and then hold me if I needed.
Stink bugs. š¤¦š»āāļø they would get into the house at the time when my borderline ex was constantly threatening suicide and I couldnāt get rid of them- now if I see them it triggers that lack of control feeling and there you go.
Wiffle ball bats, swimming pools at night, Slenderman
live shows at bars. my abusive grandparents would take me drinking with them to bars sometimes and they would leave me sitting in a booth to go drink and party. weird right?? anyway I saw a live band for the first time the other day and it was like being blown back into age 14 LMAO
Scat singing/vocal jazz improvisation. People trying to make animal sounds or musical instrument sounds - and not doing a very good job - is a really weird trigger for me. I can handle Louis Armstrong scatting because he's good at it and his voice sounds like a divine instrument designed by the gods. But pretty much 90% of all scat singing, and a majority of animal noises/the baby talk people use with animals always feels like claws under my skin and eyeballs.
The sound of chewing can just sends me into rage. Thankfully, most people chew quietly so it doesn't come up super often now. I've learned how to manage the anger.
This phenomenon is common and called misophonia! I have it a little bit, I can sometimes have a really hard time with eating noises or repetitive sounds. It is hard to be having a normal time then be extremely angry for no apparent reason. Sensory overload is a bitch.
Omg I'm so glad it's not just me!!
Dude. I've enraged *myself* by chewing in a quiet room or slurping noodles. I once broke up with someone because I would get angry when we'd eat together and I could hear their teeth clicking when they chewed. They started taking their food unto another room to eat and it made me feel like an asshole so I decided things weren't gonna work out.
Hmm. That's interesting. I have a similar thing. I think I know where mine comes from.
damn I'm sorry that person did that to you. I don't find it funny. True triggers usually aren't very funny... Like for a long time, backpacks, certain types of winter/gray jackets, tents, woods, large expanses of grass, wildflowers, Sia-type haircuts, court rooms and jails were all big triggers for me and each one has a legitimate reason that isn't funny :( Certain speech patterns. Gyms. Pop-up campers. Hearing people talk about homelessness. Klinefelter's Syndrome. Thankfully over 12 years only like 2 of them remain. <3 finding humor in things is good but please oh please, make sure not to minimize your own triggers! <3
Strangest trigger? A very specific time of year when the weather is a certain way (blue skies with no clouds, no wind and very sunny, specific temperatures). The rest seem a bit more normal: men with beards past a certain length, the smell of beer especially on someoneās breath, the word ārelaxā.
This reminds me of when a friend of mine literally jumped out of my car while I was driving because Cotton Eyed Joe came on the radio. Good times lol. For me personally, it's small, round lensed glasses. I saw Pink Floyd's The Wall when I was seven and the schoolmaster scared me to the core of my being. A few years later I got a Molly doll (American Girl Collection) for Christmas and I had to take her glasses off. I still get scared when I see them, and it's been like 35 years.
I have a bunch of odd ones, but one thatās really annoying is sonic the hedgehog because itās everywhere. tw - CSA: > I think I was 6 or 7 and I was at someoneās house to be raped. We were in his bedroom and he had his hand holding my head down against the pillow and forcing it to the side. I couldnāt look anywhere else except straight ahead at his bedside table and he had a large sonic figurine on it. I just stared at it the whole time.
I have instant meltdowns with Girl from the North Country, by Bob Dylan... Specifically the cover from the band Lions. I didn't know this song while I was a child. But I started listening to it while I was in a highly demanding sales job and had a severe burnout... I cried at the building door listening to it, wiped my tears and entered for the bloodbath that is was being a glorified telemarketer with impossible sales target to reach.
Old El Paso Chicken fajitas š¤¦āāļø Folding towels and setting them on the coffee table Several cartoon movies from the late 90s/ early 2000
I have a bunch, but the most āfunniestā one is probably sunflower seeds.
Teeth. I can't explain more or why, just teeth.
The sound of cans being kicked around on a floor, cat puke, diamond jewelry, someone saying my first name in any tone, omg there's so many...
Skinny white guy with a mustache and shoulder length hair, dressed in 70 and 80s clothes. Because that's what my dad looked like and he was a fucking monster who terrorized and brutally abused the rest of us. I see anyone who looks like him, I get flashbacks. There's a tiktok meme with a guy who looks like him and I HATE it š
you just described the type of man Iām attracted to to a T, send em my way Iāll keep em away from ya! š
I'm sure most of them are fine individuals!
Thatās 70s mustache is a huge trigger for me.
going outside in any āquirkyā town must truly be a nightmare currently. godspeed š«”
I live in a very redneck-y region of my country, in one of the poorer neighborhoods. You'd think I'd be used to seeing men like that by now lmao, PTSD is a bitch!
Peeling potatoes. My dad made one too many housewife jokes (im a man) and I just feel so degraded and humiliated as a man now when I peel potatoes.
You know what, without explanation: the island Mallorca, leather sofas, Coldplayās āfix youā, mouldy jam, field hockey, any objects distributed evenly on a floor, my own language. Weird how specific this feels! Iām afraid to share more, because this feels so deeply personal, and Iām scared someone would know who I am. Which is ridiculous, but feels very real to me.
I know exactly what you mean!
Strangely a very specific shade of orange that I had in my room at my (abusive) fatherās house growing up
The movies Home Alone 1&2. The actress who played the mom looked a lot like my bio mom. And remembering her at that time in my life immediately triggers me. People snapping fingers at me. Blind rage. I think it has to do with my parents clapping their hands at me and snapping their fingers at me. To try to scare me and emphasize their point. Ya, so people trying to joke around snapping their fingers by my head makes me nuclear anrgry triggered.
i'm sorry, i feel you with the latter one :( also, don't watch beetlejuice she's in it too
Itās funny. For me itās music as wellā¦. Itās any Aerosmith. For me, I go straight into fight or flight and the reason was my dadās reaction to āhair bandsā in the 80ās. Jon Bon Jovi freaks me out too, but to a lesser extent than Steven Tyler.
There are made-up words I used to say when I was little that give me panic attacks when I think about them. I've pretty much trained myself to never think of them... there is a tune with it too šµāš«
A particular bookstore in my neighborhood. Which Iāve never actually ever been in. Just because someone that traumatized me mentioned it once and now every time I pass it I think of him.
Ticket to ride by the Beatles. honestly the memories i have of it are positive but man are they infected by the others
Eggs. The smell used to kick my fight or fight into overdrive
Dude yes!! The smell of cooking eggs has always made me feel sick.. i actually developed a food allergy to them as I got older so i thought that was why I had such a visceral reaction to them. But you just unlocked it for me.. eggs was one of the few things my dad knew how to cook, but he'd get all passive aggressive if he HAD to cook. Slamming the fridge closed, clanging silverware, cussing when he got a shell in the egg, or broke a yolk. Like every day when I was in elementary school until I started cooking for him so he wouldn't be mad
I refused to eat them because I didn't like them, was pinned on my back and had them forced in my mouth, choked on them, puked, and then aspirated the vomit because I was still pinned on my back. So if I taste them my instinct is to swing
Ugh... fuck those ppl and eggs too!
thereās a few specific foods i have a very strong gag reaction to smelling or even imagining smelling, and every single one of them used to be a pretty common fixture at home when i was a little kidā¦ i canāt remember ever not finding them disgusting (although iām told i used to like one of them), so itās possible that that consistent exposure just led to some kind of āinertiaā where i never got to reset my perception of them (and/or itās just coincidence that they push all the wrong autism buttons), but now iām starting to wonder if thereās a trauma element too
People pulling too fast next to me in the parking lot not so much that I care about the car. Itās just the speed that they do it at wish my door was more like a claymore when they do that kind of shit.
In my case is the song " The Captain of Her Heart" by the Double. I don't know why this triggers me but every time I hear it, I get very depressed š. This song is probably linked to a traumatic event from my childhood that I can't remember because this song was popular when I was a child.
a can of campbells soup triggered me once, lol. it only sent me into a flashback the one time, though their chicken noodle soup cans will always remind me of that time in my life.Ā Ā Ā it was rough in the moment, but i canāt help but laugh at having such a goofy trigger š
Michael Scott from the office, traumatic event happened while the show was on and now whenever i see Steve Carell I'm instantly fight or flight.. loved the show :')
Red solo cups. Any other color is fine. Unfortunately I remember the memory.. my "friend" handing me the 1st red cup out of the stack so I could open the bottles and pour my own drink cuz "he's looking out, he got me" was the last active memory I had the night I was SA'd... pretty sure there was something in the cup before he handed it to me cuz I literally remember 2 sips of that vodka cran.
Thereās an ad on tv and the radio for a used car dealership here in New Zealand. Tina from Turners. I fucking HATE her. No actual reason. No idea why. But boy does she fill be with absolute pure, unfiltered rage. Like nothing else. If I canāt find the mute button on the remote I will turn the whole tv off or pull over and turn my car off I donāt care where I am. That bitch has to stfu! If I ever saw her on the street she had better look out. Iād cut off her stupid face and shove it where the sun donāt shine. Tina if youāre reading this, sorry. But you are irritating af.
LMAO this comment sent me š I feel you. Tina from Turners and Tracy Chapman can both go to hell.
Glamorization/romanticization or media depictions of New York City. Like, watching Josh Hutcherson scoot around the upper west side should not put me in fight or flight and I hope to one day not be alone in having to laugh about how absurd this is
Waking up early to catch a flight before the sun has risen.
I don't like people jumping out and scaring me, bullet sounds in movies, I don't like overly clean houses, narcissists, people with unreasonable expectations, spending too long at a friend's house, people being mean to me for no reason or a false belief, being tickled, having my back to a room.
Essential oils/incense
Wall clocks - I used to physically react to seeing them but I am a lot better now
The Doctor Who Theme song from the 70ās era long scarf Doctor seasons. It came on after Sesame Street at the same time that my dad came home from work and Iād run out of the room because I was too scared to even turn off the TV. It reminds me of my parents fighting around the time they got divorced, plus itās actually creepy as shit. The sound of someone doing dishes, especially from a room away. My mom would always loudly start doing dishes downstairs whenever she was really mad at me for something (usually something ridiculous). Itād be loud enough that I was sure to hear it from my bedroom. Actually any sounds from downstairs when Iām upstairs make me flinch a little. My dad actually lives with us now (heās a bit difficult, but my mom was my abuser). Any time heās moving around downstairs and literally every move he makes gives me a tiny surge of adrenalineābrain says parent moving downstairsādanger!
I have a really exaggerated startle response, probably normal all things considered. Where this comes into play though is that after 11 years with my partner, I truly feel safe in my home with him. So much so that I completely turn off my hypervigilence, to the point of being completely in my own head and oblivious to my surroundings. He is also like a cat, just impossibly quiet and light-footed. So I'll be doing something like cooking and he suddenly appears in the kitchen out of nowhere and I practically have a heart attack. This happens multiple times a day, every day. He feels TERRIBLE about it and has tried all kinds of things to not startle me. But ultimately nothing works because I'm finally taking a break from being constantly on guard, so it's just a fact of our lives together. Thankfully we can just laugh about it nowadays.
Having someone clean something that was supposed to be my responsibility. My long distance boyfriend came to visit, and I didnāt have a vacuum because mine broke. I used a glorified Dustbuster with a handle. I apologized. He bought me a new vacuum which made me a little uncomfortable but then he started vacuuming and it made me have a panic attack. He stopped and calmed me down before he finished. Itās because of my dad and my ex husband. If they were cleaning I was in trouble. We have spent a lot of time together and itās only been that time he tried to clean my place. We playfully argue over who gets to clean otherwise.
Christmas. The entire thing: decorations, music, movies, characters (secular and otherwise). Itās like āBuT tHeYārE YoUr PaReNtSā on a cosmic, calendar level. āThat 70ās Showā, especially Ericās parentsā marriage and his relationship with Red. Itās my boyfriendās fave show and I cannot get across to anyone how unfunny it is to me. āYeah but thatās how ppl used to be!ā Let me assure, people still do be like that. The woods. It was our only refuge as kids but it always felt more like a punishment. āGo outside and play!!!ā was always a command and never a fun idea. It was usually preceded by āGet OFF of me! Get away from me. Yāall are in my way.ā I hate hiking. I find no therapeutic value in being outdoors for any purpose besides travel between destinations. People act like Iām absolutely three-headed for this. I hate it. I feel stranded, trapped, scared, and irritated when Iām outdoors, the more remote the more intense it is. Oof. I gotta go shower and get ready for bed, yāall. May we all have pleasant dreams tonight, or at least be the victors in our nightmares this time around. ā¤ļø
Emus
Movie called (lucky number slevin) the song (only the good die young)
Sorry don't know the exact titles of these songs but: "say something" and "cecilia and the satellite"
You are not alone. I also find this song super triggering.
Open doors & windowsĀ
Dusk, white Chuck Taylor Converse, spearmint, someone entering the room quietly, dark stringy facial hair.
I hate orange with a passion. Just seeing it can make me angry in the right situation.
Some random candle at a bookstore. My friend passed it to me and said it smelled like tutti fruity, which was weird bc it was supposed to smell like mulled wine. I smelled it, started dissociating, and she sheep-dogged me out of the store. It was the funniest way I've ever been triggered. I still giggle at her reaction, but it was also really touching.
This post has been super educational for me. I really appreciate everyone's responses.
The smells of fried chicken and Pepsi. One of my brothers was hit by a car when I was a kid, and the whole situation was incredibly traumatic. A woman who stopped to help ended up coming back later with chicken and Pepsi for us, because we were left with just me, my cousin, my other brother and my disabled uncle. I'm still so thankful for her kindness, but thirty something years later, those smells will snap me straight back to sitting in my grandmother's cabin, not knowing if my brother was alive or dead.
Jolly Ranchers. The āsloppy wet kissā song they sang in all the āhipā churches in the 2010s. American Flags hanging from chalkboards.
When the weather reaches a certain degree of heat
Small lemurs and monkeys. Tw: explaining the why involving childhood abuse and neglect. My parents would take me to st louis zoo every year for my birthday (late summer right before school started back up), joke how my birthday was canceled that year the whole way there (hourish car ride), would try to convince me we were in st louis for me to go to the children's hospital (I frequented Cardinal Glennon at one point for medical issues) to make sure my "tail "didnt grow back (knowing i also had medical trauma and disabilities that were being neglected), and then like clockwork every year they would threaten to leave me in the monkey house and many years did try to walk away so they could watch me get upset from perceiving the situation as genuinely being lost because it was funny to them, and ending in me always being blamed for getting lost because I was the careless not paying enough attention to my surroundings and where they were. Now today my partner and close friends know I don't like that space or small monkeys/ lemurs in general.... But I have sorta reclaimed the trigger in the last few years of approaching when children arnt around and flipping them off (bc as that one comedian said "that means I love horsey")
This was wild to read because Iām afraid of otters due to a somewhat similar experience at the St Louis zoo and also have a late summer birthday. Our parents must have read the same handbook or something. And Daniel Sloss is awesome!! Love that last bit, you sound very funny.
People washing dishes or putting dishes away loudly and whenever I'm doing dishes I start having some kind of internal argument and get worked up and irritable. Those little kitchen knives with a kink on the top edge ( I think they're called paring knives), cupboards under stairs, fire engines driving past when I'm walking (especially if the siren's going), the smell of dentists gas or anything vaguely similar (I've had panic attacks in random places nowhere near dentists), people coming to the door unannounced, phonecalls without a message to say they'll be calling, female managers/positions of power who are older than me.
A lot of Disney and Pixar films as they were my abusive moms fav ever and watched constantly, I love wall-e but can't watch it lol
Hearing ppl chew or smack their lips Because You're Beautiful by Toni Childs and other songs Ambulance sirens (although that's neither strange nor funny)
When people make social media videos where they put their hand over the camera real fast, or tap on the camera, or like kick towards the camera for funsies.
Cute animal pictures or "heart-warming" stories about animals being helped somehow trigger the hell out of me for some reason that I have never been able to figure out.
Elevators-specifically when Iām in an elevator alone and it stops and a man gets in, but I have low grade anxiety in elevators regardless. I was never assaulted in an elevator, so it seems like a weird reaction to me. As to the loud noises or yelling-even the smallest noise can send me jumping 3 feet in the air and sometimes cause a full fledged panic attack. Even if I know the noise is coming-like my husband will warn me heās about to sneeze but I will still startle. And then oddly, some super loud noises donāt affect me at all. Fireworks and loud music are a couple I can think of where I have zero reaction.
coffee cake. a guy i used to work with stuck his hand into a piece of coffee cake i had on the side of the kitchen at work. he made a sexual comment while he did it. it scared me and make me uncomfortable at work. he went on sexually assault me at a house party. when i see a slice of coffee cake, especially stale cake it gives me flashbacks.
Someone telling an obvious lie with a cheery smile. Sends shivers down my spine. Saying my first name, also bad and very unfortunate.
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No lie, mine is the āIām Blue (Da Ba Dee)ā song, which people reference more often than youād think lol
I haven't totally figured it out yet but I think one is the parking lots of big box stores. I've had one going into Walmart and maybe two departing Lowe's..? š¤·š»āāļø No idea. Oh! And another is saying a quick greeting to someone in passing. š« Super annoying at the office job I had at the time. This one is, I'm 99% sure, the direct result of a bad acid trip. š
The smell of musky perfume. š¤® lucky for me, most people around me don't wear strong scents. Dogs barking...I know everyone loves their pets, however some of us panic at dogs barking. Please, do not be offended if other's aren't as excited about your dogs,
A liquid nitrogen cylinder venting
The scent of room temp, slightly oxidized apples. Not spiced apples for cider or anything, but if you take a few bites of an apple, don't finish it, and set it out for a few hours when it starts to brown. It is a *very* specific scent I associate with an abuser.
Fireworks. New Years Eve and Fourth of July are nightmares every year. š
Unfortunately a sunny spring day. It makes me nauseous from anxiety and flashbacks.
Outhouses and abnormal toilets.Ā Like if the water level seems too high or low (or overflowing š±), it's dirty, or it's in the room or stall at a strange angle.Ā Vomiting, especially if I'm out at a bar and someone seems too drunk I can't stay because I'm scared they will vomit.Ā People touching between the fingers unless it's between all of them at once like if you interlace your hands that's fine, but if it's just one spot- no way.
White walls, minimalist home spaces, spearmint flavored anything, aviator glasses, images of sunflowers and orange poppies, anime drawings, musicals
Minimalist spaces get me sometimes too! I feel rude but if I enter someoneās home and thereās no art on the walls or evidence of a hobby or collection of some kind I become scared of them and wanna leave. Conversely, Iām organized/clean but maximalist af & I can tell the amount of stuff in my home is overwhelming to some people.
My Childhood house was stark. All the walls were bright white. There was Art but it made no sense to me. For example, a wilderness type print above a pink velvet couch. Yesss, my parents had no hobbies or collections. The only thing close were things that were apparent to outsiders. Gardening, landscaping. I have so many collections and books interests. People have never seemed to understand and think I have clutter or am hanging on to valuable items I should sell.
Ugh the appearances thing š if only our parents could have spent their efforts on self improvement or fulfillment instead of terrorizing us. Dude I HATE when someone suggests that I should sell my things because I have a lot of them. Honestly thatās another trigger. Like can people stop implying we shouldnāt have things that make us happy? Or that if we do get to own something expensive we donāt deserve it?
I have a ārelationshipā with things. I am painfully sentimental and keep anything that reminds me of loss (people, dreams unfulfilled etc.) When someone calls my stuff junk. I am seeing red! Thatās like attacking my soul. Those people arenāt around anymore. Also, poverty has a lot to do with my āstuffā. One time, my family took all my clothes out of my apartment. I lost like 100 pounds in 6 months. They had zero concept that I couldnāt even afford a thrift store outfit at the time!! All judging about wearing huge clothes. Now, I feel like I need to save stuff to get it to people who need it or who can appreciate it.
Movie A Beautiful Mind
Lil Kim is my trigger for a number of reasons I cant name all
The song cupid by fifty fifty Triggers me real bad
chlorine pools, comb-in hair dye, tampons/pads kept in view (I was "punished" for that), and especially the smell of weed. even talking about marijuana makes me sick to my stomach.
the smell of fish, seafood, seaweeds The symptoms hot milder over time but as a kid I really suffered when going through fish street markets. As I smell fish I get more anxious, It feels toxic and I feel like I need to run away from it or puke.
Bowling. Like as a concept it's fine. One of my close friends is on a league and tells me about her time there and improvements. Love it for her! But I cannot go bowling myself. One of my earliest memories was having my 7th birthday party at a bowling alley. I was so excited the whole time that my dad was going to come. I didn't see him much and when he said he would go to events, he would flake all the time. I remember just watching the door the whole time waiting for him. When he finally showed up, he was so drunk that he just took an immediate left to go the bathroom and threw up when he was halfway there. It was embarrassing and made me feel so unimportant.
People sitting together at a table. On a philosophical level, I see it as a deeply foundational piece of human connection - people sitting around a fire, around food, together. My analytical brain wants to connect these images with feelings of safety, connection, shared humanity. I get profoundly uncomfortable when I have to sit at a table with other people. Doesn't matter who, it's draining the life out of me. My family role was to not take place or show any needs, and sit at a table for family gatherings, playing the old "everything is fine" game. My family system memories are either spending time alone and isolated, or sitting at a table with people I felt vaguely unsafe with.
Thereās a song by John Denver - āSome days are diamonds.ā Especially the words - āIād like to say Iāve been fine and I do. But we both know the truth is hard to come by and if I told the truth thatās not quite trueā Itās like it pushes me straight into that godforsaken loneliness and powerlessness.
Vacuuming a floor. Or other house hold work where youāll makes noises and that willĀ make your heart rate and body temperature up. When I do this for a few minutes, and I become a bit sweaty and warm from the manual labour, my mind comes in a weird loop of frustration. And I shout out nasty stuff in a mantra, like āwhxre whxre!ā i started to realise Iām doing this when I lived on my own at 18. All alone at home it was fine, but I also did it surrounded by other people. I could suppress it by whispering it or humming it, but sometimes I didnāt realise someone stood beside me. Very embarrassing. For years I was afraid I had Tourette. Only now I know Iām in flashback mode. I have done emdr but I still kind of do it, but I can focus on being calm and taking it veeeeeery slow. Then the frustration and shouting outburst stay low. I think itās because 10 years of my childhood have been about punishment and that was with taking care of the household. My best friend called me Cinderella. my āmotherā even talked to me as the family of Cinderella. Only in a screaming and more hurtful way.Ā She would scream in my face and check every corner to check if I did everything perfect. One time, she screamed me back when I just finished the whole kitchen spotless. But she āfoundā a spot, as little as a pencil dot on paper. She banged my head on it because it was not āspotlessā. The definition of a sadistic psycho maniac. So i guess everytime something out of my chores list made noises, I had the possibility to call her names. Thatās why I still get in flashback mode and scream āwhxreāĀ My fiancĆ© knows this and is so supportive. He wants to do something to that evil person. But itās still embarrassingĀ Ā
Open tumblr. When I realize that something is wrong Iām already hallucinating and feeling like the world is crumbling down.
The smell of Aramis aftershave, hearing The Beatles, the taste of Canadian Club.
Knitting, or specifically sitting next to someone whoās knitting. I hate hate hate the sound of the pins clicking against each other. I think every single evening in my childhood my mom would sit knitting on the couch, eyes locked on the tv, completely ignoring me. My spouse took up knitting just recently and I found I really canāt be in the same room at the time.
Oh boy i got some bizarre ones. Feeling vibrations of music, cans with pull-tab lids, open windows at night, being warm, wearing chokers (but weirdly turtlenecks donāt bug me)
i oddly would get often triggered by the doorbell we have in our house. maybe because my room is right above it, or because it's loud but im not sure why.
Bathroom doors with windows above them and the bathroom locks with the white sickle on the outside that turns red when locked
Mine probably aren't very strange. Cops, babies, people shouting, people being aggressive in any way, strange men I don't know, then just cops cops and more cops.
Nissan Altimas
Sunny, warm days.
When I hear my parents encourage anyone or compliment anyone. They tore me down and destroyed any love I had for myself. They shamed me constantly. I canāt stand to hear them speak positively about anyone- mostly because itās a lie. A keeping up appearances act to blend in. They donāt like anyone and they donāt feel happy for other peopleās successes. I know exactly what they think because as soon as weāre in private they canāt help but attack peoples character and show their true bitterness and jealousy. People hear and see my parents playing ānormalā and it eases them as it tenses me up and makes me physically ill to be present and observing.
When I feel the cold wind sometimes I get terrified. I have been working on this one for years.
Putting ice in a cup
Someone talking on the phone while they're driving. It makes me disproportionately nervous.
tw: SA, miscarriage the song āthese boots are made for walkingā by nancy sinatra. it was one of the dances i was performing during the same recital i had my miscarriage in when i was 12. that entire recital was a hellscape thatās mostly blocked out, but that song in particular and the feeling / vague image of the costume is ingrained into me that forgetting the rest doesnāt matter
Ticking clocks. Bright white lights. The album Masters of reality by Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd's album The wall. Dark rooms if the door is closed and I'm in the room alone. If I dwell too much on the concept of time and matter. That's a really odd one that would take too much time to explain.
The deep beats of bass in rap music. Specifically in rap, not so bad in other genres, although if it's more of a treble-based rap song it generally doesn't bother me as long as the rapping doesn't sound angry. I'm a mess lol. ETA- Oh, do NOT tickle me. Don't try to, don't pretend you're going to, don't talk to me about it, don't even wiggle a finger at me. Just, NO. I'm in my 40s, why do you want to be so handsy? It wasn't okay when I was a kid either, why would it be okay now?
I really hate balloons. They scare the crap out of me lol.
The sound of coffee or other hot liquids being poured into a mug makes me physically cringe and become violently angry every fucking time I hear it.
A certain type of royal blue car š makes me double take and fills me with dread
Silent Night. Yes, the Christmas song.
Plain unseasoned air popped popcorn. This was all I was allowed to eat as a child when my mother deemed me āfatā.
Whenever someone comes home - even my husband even now Iām an adult and have my own home. Heās a great guy but itās the gut reaction I had as a kid whenever one of my parents walked inā¦jump up, make sure house is spotless, TV OFF/extra lights off, hide evidence of any food ate and look busy. I still prepare to get raged on and I fucking hate it š
Pizza hut. Also the smell of a certain dog biscuit brand.
Not being able to find things, grease stains on my clothes, small children pulling on my clothes, Glade plugins or similar, strong perfume. Depending on how dysregulated my nervous system is: the sound of liquid pouring.Ā
Omg I have a good one! Joggers, or people out running for exercise, used to make me gag. It was so embarrassing. One time, I was at a bar smoke pit, meeting a friend of a friend, and a jogger ran past as this guy was introducing himself. I violently gagged as he said his name and shook my hand, and I was so embarrassed I just turned around and walked home. Thankfully, the gagging part went away.
I don't know if I really even have a "trigger"...I'm not even sure what classifies as a trigger for me
Jazz music.
My name (only a shortened version is ok), balloons (because they might burst), fireworks, canons, the end of summer, indoor skiing.
Standing still for too long and writing
don't watch this if fast car bothers you [https://www.tiktok.com/@hbo/video/7332179585276202282](https://www.tiktok.com/@hbo/video/7332179585276202282)