WhiteknightSenior Contributor
Bad triggers -good memories
In the early 1970's I was stationed at Edinburgh SA in the RAAF. Although I received a commendation for efforts for cyclone Tracey, in every other way my life there was a disaster with poor immature behaviour. Even the air force police chased me in their Valiants when I rode my motorcycle near a runway!
The following 3 years spent as a warder at Pentridge jail.
Both of those workplaces pose problems with triggers (along with many more). As we toured SA 2 years ago when I saw an sign "Edinburgh" or if I watch a ww2 movie with fighter planes I get triggered. When I watched the prison movie "the green mile" or a documentary on Alcatraz...I'm triggered.
After studying this for many years I've come to some conclusions and some remedies, to an extent.
I believe triggers originate from our memory bank, bad experiences are so permanently implanted in a sensitive mind that they dominate good memories. The good memories are flowers, the bad memories are blankets that cover them. So lets face facts, a sensitive mind perhaps one that also has a high level of guilt, will suffer from this state. Whether that is a state that happens to exist more often with the mentally unwell I wouldnt know, but likely.
I recall a friend years ago that took a detour to work avoiding a particular intersection as she had a car accident there years earlier. So daily she made her trip 10 minutes longer. When I told her that that intersection was now a roundabout she still would not go near it. Is this realistic?
Is it realistic to fear that area in SA because of events when I was 18yo? 43 years ago?
Ok, that is the severity of the problem. Some people can face these memories by remembering and talking about the good times, rather than recalling the bad. Yes, the initial trigger will never evaporate but once its launched we can say eg "there's a sign pointing the way to Edinburgh where I was in the RAAF. A lot of issues happened that got me into trouble. But I was young then. I remember when I flew to Darwin though after the cyclone. ..what a buzz"
A spin off from this, recalling the good times. What happened when I said the comment above as we drove on our holiday? My wife asked quedtions about the Darwin relief effort NOT the issues that I got in trouble for! It was an interesting development because had I not mentioned the exciting times, just my juvenile pranks, she would have only commented on those. Its an example of recalling good memories and keeping your thoughts balanced...good and bad.
I often write about "the balance of our lives". Whenever our thoughts, conversations and experiences are out of balance we can risk having issues that compound to have ramifications on our well being.
A bit like working 16 hours a day 7 days a week without a social life. It wouldnt be sustainable for very long.
So triggers on bad memories...dig deep to remind yourself of when you laughed or had exciting times as well
WK
The following 3 years spent as a warder at Pentridge jail.
Both of those workplaces pose problems with triggers (along with many more). As we toured SA 2 years ago when I saw an sign "Edinburgh" or if I watch a ww2 movie with fighter planes I get triggered. When I watched the prison movie "the green mile" or a documentary on Alcatraz...I'm triggered.
After studying this for many years I've come to some conclusions and some remedies, to an extent.
I believe triggers originate from our memory bank, bad experiences are so permanently implanted in a sensitive mind that they dominate good memories. The good memories are flowers, the bad memories are blankets that cover them. So lets face facts, a sensitive mind perhaps one that also has a high level of guilt, will suffer from this state. Whether that is a state that happens to exist more often with the mentally unwell I wouldnt know, but likely.
I recall a friend years ago that took a detour to work avoiding a particular intersection as she had a car accident there years earlier. So daily she made her trip 10 minutes longer. When I told her that that intersection was now a roundabout she still would not go near it. Is this realistic?
Is it realistic to fear that area in SA because of events when I was 18yo? 43 years ago?
Ok, that is the severity of the problem. Some people can face these memories by remembering and talking about the good times, rather than recalling the bad. Yes, the initial trigger will never evaporate but once its launched we can say eg "there's a sign pointing the way to Edinburgh where I was in the RAAF. A lot of issues happened that got me into trouble. But I was young then. I remember when I flew to Darwin though after the cyclone. ..what a buzz"
A spin off from this, recalling the good times. What happened when I said the comment above as we drove on our holiday? My wife asked quedtions about the Darwin relief effort NOT the issues that I got in trouble for! It was an interesting development because had I not mentioned the exciting times, just my juvenile pranks, she would have only commented on those. Its an example of recalling good memories and keeping your thoughts balanced...good and bad.
I often write about "the balance of our lives". Whenever our thoughts, conversations and experiences are out of balance we can risk having issues that compound to have ramifications on our well being.
A bit like working 16 hours a day 7 days a week without a social life. It wouldnt be sustainable for very long.
So triggers on bad memories...dig deep to remind yourself of when you laughed or had exciting times as well
WK
