If you know anything about eating disorders, addiction,
or mental health in general, chances are you’ve noticed the word “trigger” being
thrown around. You’ve probably heard people say “that’s a trigger” or “____
triggers me.” Triggers are everywhere! So what are triggers, why are they
important, and how to we handle them? Let’s find out.
1) What
is a trigger?
An initial trigger is something that
contributes to the start of the eating disorder; basically it gets the eating
disorder ball rolling. A trigger can be a traumatic event, a stressful
situation, a period of transition, or even just a comment that sticks with the individual.
Many professionals in the field find adolescence to be a common trigger because
it is a period of many changes, both physically and emotionally, and it’s a shock
to the system.
Once the disorder begins and
progresses, individuals tend to develop more triggers surrounding the disease.
These triggers don’t cause the disorder but they perpetuate it. When a trigger is
activated, it leads to the compulsion to act out disordered behaviors.
2) Why
are triggers important?
Now that we have an idea of what a
trigger is, let’s look at the impact they have on the eating disorder itself.
There is something I want to stress: triggers don’t just make someone “uncomfortable.”
They cause so much distress in a person that they feel the only way to calm
themselves down and ease the emotional turmoil caused by the trigger, is to act
on it. It’s very similar to someone suffering from OCD: the individual feels
like they have no choice but to act out the compulsion because the thought of
not doing it is too overwhelming. I’ve mentioned examples of triggers that
contribute to the development of an eating disorder but what about triggers
once the disorder has developed? Well, they’re different for everyone but there
are some common ones. For example, numbers tend to be very common triggers in
people with eating disorders. When I say “numbers” this includes talking about
weight, measurements, calories, anything along those lines. I know for me this
is a big one. Whenever I hear someone start talking about their weight or calories,
my mind tends to do this “la la la, I can’t hear you” sort of thing. It’s not
pleasant at all…in fact, it makes me want to crawl out of my skin. Mirrors can
also be a trigger. Many people with eating disorders struggle an immense amount
with their reflection. If someone looks in the mirror and hates what they see,
it could be a trigger for them to want to turn to their behaviors in attempt to
change their reflection. Meal times could be a trigger, especially if other
people are around. Eating disorders are diseases highly concentrated in secrecy
so being around others tends to stress out an individual struggling. Some foods
may even be triggers. For example, people with bulimia who engage in a
binge/purge cycle will tend to have specific foods that trigger them. They will
buy these foods with the intention to binge on them and then throw them back
up.
Triggers are important because as I’ve
mentioned, they have a direct impact on the eating disorder. A trigger is
something that encourages an individual to engage in their eating disorder
behavior.
3 3) How
do we deal with triggers?
As you can see at this point,
triggers are serious components of eating disorders. So what do we do we do
about them? The first step is being able to identify a trigger. If you can
point it out, you can avoid it. Working with a therapist and dietician can be
very beneficial when identifying triggers. Sometimes it helps to have a third
party because the trigger may not be right in front of your face so it’s not as
easy to point out.
Once you’ve identified your triggers,
you can start to practice ways of handling them. Many individuals find it
helpful to make a list of alternatives to do rather than act on the trigger.
This list could include things like: going for a run, painting your nails,
calling a friend, journaling, listening to music, etc. It’s similar to the idea
of avoiding the impulse to self-harm: if you distract yourself and keep your
mind focused on things rather than the impulse, it will abate in time.
Mindfulness can be extremely beneficial when trying to handle a trigger.
Mindfulness is a practice which focuses on being in the present moment and
slowing down the mind and body. When a trigger hits, the mind begins to race
with a plethora of anxious-driven and disordered thoughts so mindfulness is a
great way to weed out those thoughts and let them pass. Again, with a therapist
you can work together to come up with ways to handle triggers when they
approach.
By now, I hope you have a better understanding of what
triggers are and how they affect an individual with an eating disorder.
Triggers can be detrimental and may pop up at random times, even after a period
without them, but they’re not impossible to handle. It’s important for both an
individual with an eating disorder and those supporting them, to have an idea
of what their triggers are, in order to deal with them.
And remember: just like with anything else, the more
you practice, the easier it becomes!
