How Can DBT Help You Manage Trauma Triggers?

Experiencing trauma can disrupt your life, leaving you feeling lost and misunderstood. If you are dealing with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or struggling to manage trauma triggers—specific stimuli that remind you of past trauma and provoke intense emotional and physical reactions—life can become an overwhelming challenge. These triggers can be anything from a particular smell, sound, or sight to more abstract cues like certain weather conditions or times of the year. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) offers practical tools to help you regain stability and manage these trauma triggers effectively.

Trauma often pushes us to extremes, making us overly alert to potential threats while numbing us to everyday joys. These extreme reactions can linger long after the traumatic event, causing ongoing issues. You might find yourself swinging between hyper-awareness and numbness, overreacting and feeling paralysed. These extremes impact various aspects of your life, including your awareness, emotions, thoughts, reactions, and relationships.

DBT is designed to help restore balance. The term “dialectical” means bringing together opposites, making DBT perfect for those who feel constantly pulled in different directions. DBT teaches skills that help you find a middle ground and manage your awareness, emotions, thoughts, reactions, and relationships more effectively. One of the most important DBT skills for managing trauma triggers is mindfulness.

The Power of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a central component of DBT. It involves being aware of the present moment without judgment. When we practise mindfulness, we learn to observe our thoughts, feelings, and sensations without getting caught up in them. This practise helps trauma survivors become more aware of their triggers and reactions, providing a foundation for better coping strategies. Mindfulness means deliberately paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. It is about being present and noticing what is happening without trying to change or judge it. For trauma survivors, this can be incredibly grounding. Here is how you can practise mindfulness:

1. Start Small: Choose a simple activity like breathing or walking. Focus entirely on this activity for a few minutes each day.
2. Notice Details: Pay attention to the small details—how the water feels on your hands, the sound of your breath, or the colours around you.
3. Acknowledge Distractions: If your mind wanders, gently bring your focus back to the activity. Notice distractions without judgment and return your attention to the present moment.

Mindfulness helps increase both awareness and acceptance. Trauma often causes us to focus too much on potential threats while ignoring other aspects of our lives. Mindfulness encourages a balanced approach, helping you become more aware of both the good and the challenging aspects of your experiences.

The RAIN Technique

A specific mindfulness practise in DBT is the RAIN technique, which stands for Recognise, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture. This practise helps you deal with intense emotions and trauma triggers effectively.

1. Recognise: Notice when you are feeling triggered. Pay attention to physical signs, like a racing heart or clenched fists.
2. Allow: Instead of fighting the feeling, allow it to be there. Imagine the emotion as a wave that comes and goes.
3. Investigate: Explore why you are feeling this way. What thoughts or memories are associated with this emotion?
4. Nurture: Be kind to yourself. Use coping strategies like deep breathing, relaxation exercises, or talking to a supportive friend.

Using Your Balanced Mind

DBT also emphasises the concept of the Balanced Mind, which integrates your thinking and feeling minds. The Thinking Mind is logical and analytical, while the Feeling Mind is emotional and intuitive. The Balanced Mind helps you make decisions by considering both thoughts and feelings. Here is how you can develop your Balanced Mind:

1. Identify Thoughts and Feelings: Take time to notice what you are thinking and feeling in response to a trigger.
2. Evaluate and Balance: Reflect on these thoughts and feelings. Are they helping you respond effectively, or are they making things worse?
3. Make Informed Decisions: Use the insights from both your thinking and feeling minds to decide how to respond.

Moving Forward

Managing trauma triggers with DBT involves a combination of mindfulness, awareness, and balanced thinking. By practising these skills, you can regain control over your reactions and start to build a more stable and fulfilling life. Remember, it is a journey that takes time and patience. Be kind to yourself as you learn and grow. If you are interested to learn more about DBT and trauma and/or wish to see whether it is the right treatment approach for you, you can contact our clinic for more information.

If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.

Seray Soyman is working as a Clinical Psychosexologist within the Willingness team, providing psychosexual education and sexual support sessions, as well as delivering training and workshops. She has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychosexology from the Sapienza University of Rome. Seray’s research interests are sexual communication, sex-positive behaviour, LGBTQIA+ studies, and sexual health.

References

Reutter, K. (2019). The dialectical behavior therapy skills workbook for PTSD: Practical exercises for overcoming trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. New Harbinger Publications.