I think the best way to DEAL with them rather than avoid them (because sometimes you can't avoid all triggers) is to practice putting yourself into the present. I have mixed feelings about Dr. Drew, but I really like what he says about triggers. A trigger is something that makes you feel like you are much younger than what you really are. It takes you back to the past... past traumas.

Something that can help is reminding yourself that you are older now, that it was in the PAST, you are stronger now, you are SAFE now, you are no longer in that situation, ect. I physically look around the room to remind myself of WHERE I am.

Avoidance whenever possible.
Deep breathing.
+ I smoke, so I release anxiety thru smoking.

Oh, plus XANAX to keep me "sane".

Working through my triggers has been the single most important advantage I have had in managing my disorder. It has taken alot of work and I continue to "be aware" and grow with each new experience in my life. In different stages of my life...adolesence, adulthood, marriage, parenting, people at work or otherwise, etc. I have experienced new challenges.

I have had some awesome therapists and I have worked through alot of my own insecurities. What I learned is that a "trigger" is seldom about the thing or person that I believe triggers me but more about myself and how I am reacting to it.

I have learned to "manage my day to day chaos" and "react" to it differently. I used to think it impossible. I had a "hair trigger" temper and fell apart under any kind of stress. Many personalities triggered me, especially strong ones. I began to identify what it was about the person or situation that set me off and how that may relate to the way I was raised, my own personality, my self esteem, etc.

It was/is more about working on ME and how I deal with things as they come.........not waiting for them to pile up and become unmanageable. In learning what my triggers are, I learn more about who I am and how to be the best I can be in any given situation. I can better be the person I want to be and not the person created by the people and circumstances around me.

A trigger management plan can encourage us to try something new when it comes to reacting to our triggers. If we identify them and the cause, we are better equipt to evaluate a new strategy.

I meditate daily and I journal daily. It helps me "see" with open eyes.....