Posted by deirdrehbrt on February 12, 2006, at 17:22:28
In reply to *Trigger*?, posted by wanttobhappy on February 12, 2006, at 16:47:53
A trigger is a word, or description, or situation which could cause someone stress or flashbacks if read.
Many people on this board suffer from PTSD. Reading about a traumatic event can "trigger" a flashback, causing emotional difficulty in the person who is reading it.
Someone reading about a r*pe, could re-enter that situation, experiencing once again, the feelings (physical as well as emotional) what had once happened to them.
If a post describes such a situation, or other painful or disconcerting situation, they put the word *trigger* in the header of the post, warning readers that such material is present, leaving it up to them to decide if they are in a position to read it.
Hope this helps,
--Dee
poster:deirdrehbrt
thread:608996
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060212/msgs/609014.html