“Triggered” - You Keep Using That Word. I don’t Think It Means What You Think It Means

I am a child of the 80’s and one of my favorite movies is a 1987 classic, “The Princess Bride.” Vizzini, a comic villain played by Wallace Sean, frequently uses the word "inconceivable" to describe the Dread Pirate Roberts’s successes. He uses this word so frequently that his employee, Inigo Montoya, finally challenges him, “you keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.” And that’s how I see the word “triggered.” 

In the context of mental health, the word “triggered” was born out of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. One of the potential attributes of this condition is experiencing flashbacks and the word triggered came about as something would “trigger” a flashback or a re-experiencing of a distressing memory, which can even feel like it’s currently happening. In his book, “The Body Keeps The Score (2014), Bessel van der Kolk described some of his early work with Vietnam veterans who would experience flashbacks so intense that the bodies and minds of these individuals would essentially re-enact responses to moments from combat. 

In this context, the word “triggered” has one meaning and it’s descriptive. It helps us better understand an individual’s PTSD symptoms and what leads to them experiencing their symptoms. This type of understanding is a critical piece of the puzzle in helping people heal from PTSD.

The word “triggered” has also come to take on a related meaning where an event or conversation may invoke feelings that are associated with potentially traumatic events, patterns, or situations that historically outpaced our ability to cope. I often tell my clients that in the moments where we are triggered, the past and the present merge and we lose our ability to understand how today is different from the past. 

However, lately I have noticed a different way that the word “triggered” is being used, which is more of a catch-all for situations that arouse strong feelings such as frustration, anger, or disappointment. And this is where I struggle. My perspective is that we are watering down an important word. Now, a word that once offered concrete information and a diagnostic path can have little to no meaning. I hope this pattern stops. 

I love that the word “triggered” has made it into the zeitgeist. It normalizes a stigmatized condition and gives us a common language to discuss a situation that arises somewhat frequently for folks who have experienced adversity or trauma. However, can we please just leave well enough alone!?!