How Can Trauma Therapy CA Help with Fall Triggers
Rancho Cucamonga Therapist Trauma Therapy CA EMDR CA Rancho Cucamonga counseling
Our senses can trigger emotional response, some of these responses can be positive and joyful. However, it could also trigger unpleasant memories as a Therapist that provides Trauma Therapy CA, I have noticed that triggers can be related to the five senses. For example, “Smell can instantly trigger an emotional response along with a memory, and our emotional states have a very strong effect on our physical well-being,” says Rachel Herz, a neuroscientist (The Magazine of Harvard Medical School). During fall, it is common that we start smelling scents such as pumpkin cinnamon and spices. For most people, this can create positive memories related to family time and childhood joy. Unfortunately, this is not the case for everybody. These fall scents can trigger anxiety symptoms such as a panic attack or a flashback if scent is linked to a traumatic memory. “If someone has a smell that is linked to their trauma, that smell is almost certainly one of the most robust triggers for their trauma,” says Kerry Ressler, HMS professor of psychiatry and chief scientific officer at McLean Hospital. As a trauma therapist, I often hear that certain scents can take a person back to a particular memory. For example, a scent of a particular food, perfume/cologne or event memory such as Halloween a common fall event can take a trauma survivor back to the trauma memory. It is important to be aware of these triggers and trauma therapy such as EMDR can help you manage these triggers along with processing it in safe way . Once we are aware of triggers we can learn to better manage symptoms of anxiety that may arise.
