Within eating disorder support groups all over the internet, you’ll hear a word “trigger” sprinkled throughout, and covering almost every post that challenges people to feel deep hard feelings. The word, that covers so many posts like an explosion of glitter you can’t wash off, is “trigger.” When I polled people who were willing to be interviewed through private messaging, they all seemed to agree that the word trigger to them is a harsh, negative reaction, stimulating action that could be harmful. Seems like something we should avoid at all costs, right? Well, maybe… but if we take those triggers that ignite deep feelings and start exploring them in the moment (each moment), we can actually get those pesky little things to start working FOR us toward a personalized recovery.
Trigger words I’ve been accused of using include:
- Over
- Recovered
- Fat
- Trigger
- Recovery Based
- Perfect
- Weight
- Obesity
- Medical
- Metabolism
- Scale
- Diet Coke
- Comparison
- Binging
- Mental Illness
- Weight Restoration
- Etc.
So, as you can see: There are A LOT of opportunities to explore these triggers and go deeper into your own recovery process! Exciting, I know…. But if you think about it, the way we’ve witnessed “triggers” in these online platforms seems to only include, warning about the subject matter, avoiding the post by deleting it, arguing about whether it’s a trigger or not, and exercising eating disorder behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that aid in numbing out the upset of the subject. I don’t blame anyone for these limited reactions, as they must be dealt with in the ways that feel accessible to people in the moment, but what if we had another way to make these triggers work for us?
The reason we tend to react pretty compulsively to triggers is because it seems to be an instant and sharp overwhelm of emotions, like when we put our hand on a hot stove burner. You don’t sit there and contemplate how hot it is, you react. Instantly. But with emotional triggers there is a window of time (SUPER SHORT) where we can do some exploration with the trigger, so, if you’re willing to take your triggers to the next level, get your materials ready now, as triggers are everywhere, and if we are in reaction mode, we will not have the forethought to prepare for exploration exercises.
I wrote a simple to use Trigger Tracker Worksheet to easily print out and have available when triggers seem to sink in and feel overwhelming.
Here is a preview of my Trigger Tracker for anyone wanting a quick deep dive into an accessible trigger:
I’d love your insights on this if you’re willing to share your stories.*If you need support NOW, feel free to reach out to me!*
Email Scarlett:
SRO@ScarlettRameyOfficial.com
Text Scarlett:
(206) 910-8690
If you are looking for more support in your journey to Recovery and Life, I would be honored if you became a Ramey Nutrition Insider
You’ll find fun fun support tools and freebies in my first email!
YES! I Want In!
If you’re into it, feel free to share this with any other people in your support circle that you KNOW need to hear these words!
Yours in love and support,
Scarlett Ramey, MS, RDN, CD
P.S. Hope to see you in the comments. Let’s rally together during this time and stay connected in supporting YOUR Recovery journey. The world deserves the BEST of you.♥️