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I am no expert but it was my understanding that therapy for trauma often includes exposure to triggering stimuli precisely because it's not a realistic option t

I am no expert but it was my understanding that therapy for trauma often includes exposure to triggering stimuli precisely because it's not a realistic option to just hope you don't run into something triggering "in the wild" for the rest of your life.

ceejayoz 7y ago
Yes, it may, particularly if it's an unavoidable trigger. That should be done safely and consensually within the context of a therapy session/plan with a professional guiding it. It's like surgery. Entirely acceptable in certain scenarios, but you'd object if your English lit prof decided to DIY it during class.
- lmm 7y ago
  Aren't the trigger warnings a DIY treatment themselves? In the absence of specific professional advice, I'd think the default would be to treat people normally. Why are we so eager to put trigger warnings on things without any evidence that they're doing more good than harm?
  - ceejayoz 7y ago
    No, they’re not a treatment. They may aid someone who is in treatment, though. I know an abuse survivor who has been in therapy for many years working on the impact of it. We avoid movies with abuse depictions as it causes severe disassociation and setbacks in that treatment. Someone for whom it’s triggering but less severely so might just opt to watch said movies with a trusted friend on a day they’re feeling emotionally sound. They allow folks to choose the level of exposure to optional, potentially damaging things. Just like an R rating on a film might make you pause before bringing an 8 year old to the theater.
eej2ya1K 7y ago
It includes exposure, yes, but the idea is to encourage the patient/client to decide to seek out triggering stimuli themselves.
watwut 7y ago
Yes, but you do that with therapist in setting where potential meltdown has no consequences to you or other people. The therapist is also supposed to decide your progress based on how it is going.
tekproxy 7y ago
My dog was afraid of taking a bath. I fixed this by rewarding her for coming into the bathroom. Once she was comfortable, I got her into the tub and rewarded her. After 15 minutes of "exposure therapy" she loves jumping into the tub and it's easier for both of us when she's stinky. I'm pretty sure people work similarly but it's hard to reward them with dog food.
- vincent-toups 7y ago
  People aren't dogs to be trained. To an extent, to be human and to recognize other people's humanity is to accept and accommodate their irrationality where doing so isn't particularly onerous to you.
  - antepodius 7y ago
    Training works on people; people are animals. To a certain extent, this is what therapy is: helping people train parts of their brains to behave differently.
    - bobthepanda 7y ago
      The difference is that we have therapists who are licensed to do this, and who are better at judging progress and when it might be appropriate to progress you. Your average lecturer or teacher is not trained in this way, at least specifically regarding trauma.
      - yabadabadoes 7y ago
        The average lecturer was managing a class, but now they need to prescreen individuals for experiences that make them too weak for normal classes? Just about 10 years ago cutting edge therapists were implanting false memories of childhood trauma.. If someone does not seem to need a therapist based on actual behavior then I don't think schools should be inviting lecturers to create pre-screening based on students reactions to trigger warnings, etc. Bad ideas like every lecturer learning pop psychology "safety" and then reading tea leaves to tell people under their authority to get help is how you create a generation with psychological problems.

ceejayoz 7y ago

Yes, it may, particularly if it's an unavoidable trigger. That should be done safely and consensually within the context of a therapy session/plan with a professional guiding it. It's like surgery. Entirely acceptable in certain scenarios, but you'd object if your English lit prof decided to DIY it during class.

lmm 7y ago
Aren't the trigger warnings a DIY treatment themselves? In the absence of specific professional advice, I'd think the default would be to treat people normally. Why are we so eager to put trigger warnings on things without any evidence that they're doing more good than harm?
- ceejayoz 7y ago
  No, they’re not a treatment. They may aid someone who is in treatment, though. I know an abuse survivor who has been in therapy for many years working on the impact of it. We avoid movies with abuse depictions as it causes severe disassociation and setbacks in that treatment. Someone for whom it’s triggering but less severely so might just opt to watch said movies with a trusted friend on a day they’re feeling emotionally sound. They allow folks to choose the level of exposure to optional, potentially damaging things. Just like an R rating on a film might make you pause before bringing an 8 year old to the theater.

eej2ya1K 7y ago

It includes exposure, yes, but the idea is to encourage the patient/client to decide to seek out triggering stimuli themselves.

watwut 7y ago

Yes, but you do that with therapist in setting where potential meltdown has no consequences to you or other people. The therapist is also supposed to decide your progress based on how it is going.

tekproxy 7y ago

My dog was afraid of taking a bath. I fixed this by rewarding her for coming into the bathroom. Once she was comfortable, I got her into the tub and rewarded her. After 15 minutes of "exposure therapy" she loves jumping into the tub and it's easier for both of us when she's stinky. I'm pretty sure people work similarly but it's hard to reward them with dog food.

vincent-toups 7y ago
People aren't dogs to be trained. To an extent, to be human and to recognize other people's humanity is to accept and accommodate their irrationality where doing so isn't particularly onerous to you.
- antepodius 7y ago
  Training works on people; people are animals. To a certain extent, this is what therapy is: helping people train parts of their brains to behave differently.
  - bobthepanda 7y ago
    The difference is that we have therapists who are licensed to do this, and who are better at judging progress and when it might be appropriate to progress you. Your average lecturer or teacher is not trained in this way, at least specifically regarding trauma.
    - yabadabadoes 7y ago
      The average lecturer was managing a class, but now they need to prescreen individuals for experiences that make them too weak for normal classes? Just about 10 years ago cutting edge therapists were implanting false memories of childhood trauma.. If someone does not seem to need a therapist based on actual behavior then I don't think schools should be inviting lecturers to create pre-screening based on students reactions to trigger warnings, etc. Bad ideas like every lecturer learning pop psychology "safety" and then reading tea leaves to tell people under their authority to get help is how you create a generation with psychological problems.