A Christian Approach to Triggers
I encountered a trigger today that I didn't realize I had. It was a situation that, in the past, would have been followed by significant damage to myself. Despite being years removed from that situation, my nervous system still battled feeling overwhelmed with terror.
While we are in our physical bodies, we will still face some of the triggers that have become engrained in our minds. This isn’t due to any fault on our ends, biologically trauma rewires our brains.
I’m not sure how I would be able to truly find peace and comfort when some of those triggers resurface, however, if I was not a Christian.
There are two truths I have personally grown in when it comes to facing traumatic triggers.
God designed our bodies to be compatible with different strategies in order to calm down the physical and emotional reactions we have.
There is power in letting God step into those spaces with us.
I have encountered a lot of people who lean heavily on one side or the other. I think that as Christians it is important to recognize the value of both.
If we hold to the truth that God intentionally created our minds and bodies, then it is biblically supported that God designed us to need certain things to cope with triggers. It is not a sign of being a “better Christian” (no such thing exists) to not use strategies such as deep breaths, physical movement, journaling, etc. to help regulate what is happening inside your body. It is not a sign of weakness if you need to ask others to step into those spaces with you to help you regulate. When we truly take our time to recognize who designed our minds and bodies that way, we give credit to the one who did and have space to meet our physical needs in an intentional and glorifying manner.
Acknowledging and harnessing the strategies that the Lord has designed us to need is honoring to the way He has designed us.
With that established as glorifying to God, we can also discuss the significance to inviting God into those spaces with us. I chose to put this point second because I have experienced a lot of Christians who are so keen to jump to it that they loose sight of the other point. God isn’t to be used as a genie. He’s also not to be used as a prescription pad. It is relationship with Him that holds the healing and comfort that we need so desperately. When triggers arise, we don’t often run to people who will give us just a clinical overview (sometimes we do need this) but we usually run to the people who know us and will bring gentleness and compassion to what we are feeling. That is who God is. He is not sitting there with a checklist waiting for you to pop in to Him to get credit. He is holding His arms wide to cradle you in the pain and fear with the only love that truly holds power over it.
