I receive messages all the time from people telling me about their various triggers and how

they wreak havoc on their lives.

Do you need a few quick and dirty tips on how to deal with triggers?

If so, this episode is for you.

Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist.

I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson.

Every week on this show, I'll help you face life challenges with evidence-based approaches

– a sympathetic ear and zero judgment.

Let's start by talking about what a trigger is.

It seems like every time I interact with people on the street or on social media, they

are clear with me that triggers are all around us.

And quite honestly, that's true.

Some are pretty obvious.

Like someone who almost drowned may be triggered by watching Poseidon, a movie about a

capsized cruise ship, but triggers aren't always so clear, and basically anything has

the potential to be a trigger.

That's because by definition, a trigger is a stimulus that provokes a reaction.

As such, a trigger can be any sensory reminder, like a smell, sound, taste, visual, physical

sensation, time of day, or time of year.

You may not even know what all your triggers are, because there may be some that you haven't

encountered before.

What's worse, triggers can elicit a reaction that is intense, overwhelming, and occurs

...