How to Figure Out Your Childhood Trauma Triggers - Six Steps

How to Figure Out Your Triggers - Six Steps - Childhood Trauma

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In this video we cover: how to figure out your childhood trauma triggers, attachment, highly sensitive person, triggers, survival strategy, therapy, childhood trauma, toxic family systems, boundaries, inner child, , c-ptsd, PTSD, toxic parents, narcissistic abuse, healing, abusive parents, emotional abuse, childhood PTSD, repressed memories, HSP, hypervigilance, narcissistic parents, emotionally abusive parents, child abuse, narcissistic father, childhood emotional neglect, abuse, narcissistic mother, alcoholism, scapegoat, genogram, siblings, dissociation, trauma

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:19 Connect With Me
2:47 Are Your Triggers From Childhood Trauma?
4:03 Step #1: Am I Triggered?
5:47 Step #2: Is the Trigger Energy Up or Down?
7:55 Step #3: What is Your Knee Jerk Reaction?
9:29 Step #4: What Was Your Survival Strategy Growing in Childhood?
13:57 Step #5: Connect the Trigger to Childhood.
16:15 Step #6: Separate and Reclaim the Present.
18:12 Final Thoughts
18:29 Outro

Learn more about Patrick Teahan,
Childhood Trauma Resources and Offerings

MUSIC IS BY - Chris Haugen - Ibiza Dream

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⚠️ Disclaimer

My videos are for educational purposes only. Information provided on this channel is not intended to be a substitute for in person professional medical advice. It is not intended to replace the services of a therapist, physician, or other qualified professional, nor does it constitute a therapist-client or physician or quasi-physician relationship.

If you are, or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.

If you are having emotional distress, please utilize 911 or the National Suicide Hotline
1-800-273-8255

[alexjackson]

This was the most useful thing I've come across in a year of reading and therapy. Excellent. It really connected the dots between Porges/Van de Kolk's theories, therapy and the basic emotions felt during trigger events. Thank you. And I love your series. Really helpful.

[realhealing]

In my toxic family as long as I submitted to everyone in the family, I was considered good. Anytime I stood up for myself I was told that I was wrong or bad. I am the scapegoat of the toxic family. I finally went no contact because these dysfunctional patterns will never change. Abusers don't change!

[cupkelpie]

"how many of those trigger examples apply to you?"
"yes"

[eggnogalcoholic]

“Someone being mad at you” is definitely my childhood trigger. The fear of it is why I work so hard. It’s like a shadowy monster that’s always chasing me that I attempt to outrun by keeping up with the needs of others around me (boss, family, etc)

[oaktreedialogues]

I am very sensitive to being gaslighted. I react with anger when I sense someone is trying to manipulate me and playing mind games with ambiguous lies. I hate being lied to and will flee that relationship, without asserting myself.

[MeCarder]

The fear of disappointing people, and the fear that someone would figure out that I had no idea how to be "normal" and fit in.

[artscraftscrochet]

Ex: saying no
Ex: partners mood
Ex: ambiguity
Ex: thoughtless oblivious people
Ex: feedback

Step 1:
Am I triggered?

Mindful noticing in the here and now

Step 2:
Is the trigger energy up or down?

Step 3:
What is my knee jerk reaction when triggered?

Step 4:
What was my survival strategy growing up?

Flight
Fight
Freeze
Shame
Attach

Step 5:
Connect the trigger to your childhood

Step 6:
Separate and reclaim the present

[Christine.Baraka]

I was raised in a very Christian household and taught that I was a sinner from very young. I was punished for "selfish" or "thoughtless" acts before I could understand why. I became very good at tuning out fading into the background. I was a chameleon for anything my parents wanted. I never felt repressed because this response is so automatic. I thought I had a fine childhood. Today I'm diagnosed adhd and a very talented people pleaser. But I'm finally ready to start living for me

[meowmeowstgen]

Patrick, you’re one of the only therapists I like because your don’t make childhood trauma survivors feel more broken. There’s plenty of people posting on Instagram and it’s just post after post implying that we will always be this way and we need to do it alone. It’s so infuriating! Thank you for your understanding and all the tools your provide

[Aquarillis]

Patrick,

You've become a cornerstone in my healing. I think about your content all the time and have been inspired to utilize your techniques in my relationships and engagement. I've seen nearly all your videos and recommended them frequently to everyone I care for. I am so thankful you are here to give voice to the conflicts and craziness that goes on in all our heads. Thank you for the work you do and thank you for conquering your own trauma so that you can be here to help us conquer ours!

[lisawanderess]

This is great! I have worked out my huge problem is that my “default setting” is “Nobody likes me and I’m never anybody’s priority” (obviously from my critical and neglectful parents). I get hugely triggered when anyone lets me down; for example they say we’ll meet up, then they cancel) I totally lose it! My heart races, I’ll probably cry, have a panic attack, so at first it’s up, but that quickly turns into down energy as you described, feeling worthless, ashamed, confused, devastated inproportionately to the situation. Then I’ll totally withdraw, hide from the world, spend days in bed, assume all humans suck. I find it hard to pull myself out of this state. I have taken this survival tactic to such a huge extent that I now live completely alone as a nomad in my RV so I can “disappear” regularly as that feels like the only “safe place”. I also have autoimmune Rheumatoid Arthritis because for so many years my body did indeed “Keep the score”. Childhood trauma ruins your health!

[siennasamuel]

I’m just now beginning to realize how the emotional neglect I faced growing up has effected me. It’s actually crazy, and really sad. These videos help a lot ❤️

[patrickteahanofficial]

Join me in the chat for the Premiere! 👋

[paulalane]

I grew up in fight, flight. My alcoholic mother, verbally abusive and we fought physically then I ran away. I remember from about 6 or 7. I became a people pleaser. Chose abusive partners. No one ever got me. I did not know any of this. THANK YOU, Patrick, for helping us understand. At 66, my body does not like the trauma anymore. I stopped running but am just now learning the why and how to change.

[jeweliedee]

My most inexplicable reaction happened when I went to court to defend a traffic ticket. The minute I got into the courtroom and sat and watched others go through their paces with the judge, I sat there pushing back sobs. I had no idea why I was crying except that I felt a horrific fear of my turn coming up and having to go up and defend myself to the judge. I am not emotionally weak. Something about the authority/offender role was getting to me big time. I continued my crying in front of the judge, in spite of the fact I did everything I could to stop crying. It was impossible. I just couldn't stop.

[Lena-zotl]

Oh man..you completely nailed the dynamic between my sister and me. All this time I thought my overly cerebral essays written in response to my sister’s shaming emails was the “adult” response…🤦‍♀️

[linden]

I think I just realised how much of my teens and 20s was spent in a triggered state.👀

Thank you for your continued healing work Patrick! I wonder for a future video if you'd consider covering the trauma of gifted child expectations and pressure? Very insidious influence carried into adult life and messes up figuring out authentic identity and goals.

[adoxographiccontent]

I literally froze and then wanted to flee from this video because of my garbage. Man, I'm glad I stuck it out.

[wendy]

Depending on what the trigger is, I regularly experience all of the fight/flight/freeze/fawning reactions 😩

[kristiwilson]

I feel like “up” energies are largely directed externally, and “down” energies are largely directed internally.