Trigger Warning.
It is two simple words, with much meaning.
Two words that cause so much contention.
I periodically see people post the words “Trigger Warning” at the top of an article or blog post. It almost always inspires the worst in internet commenters.
They will say it is political correctness gone mad, or that the poster is being melodramatic. They will say that the only people who need trigger warnings are week minded people who are too easily offended.
In short, they don’t get what a trigger warning is, they are lucky enough that it is an alien concept to them. To be honest, I don’t begrudge them that. I am happy for them. I just wish that they would show a little compassion for those who are not so lucky.
Trigger warnings are not about political correctness. They are not about what might offend. They are not about what is politically correct, or what might make a person uncomfortable.
They are about emotion. They are about a soul so broken that there is something so beyond their control emotional that even mentioning it can cause them pain and anguish.
It is about walking down the street when a word, an image, or even a stray thought hits you so hard you are physically knocked over by it. It is about a word, meant in kindness, causing sudden waves of grief that there are no words to explain.
Sometimes you know what your triggers are. After all, you know what the root cause is, so that can kind of tell you what you should avoid to stay away from that emotional place
Sometimes you know what your triggers are, and sometimes you don’t.
Trigger warnings are not a way of saying “Oh, this might make you angry or sad.” They are about the realization that there are people in this world that have lived through experiences that no human should have to experience, and survived.
Trigger warnings are not to protect the week minded, or the fools. They are to protect the strong who have walked through this world with burdens that no one else can see. They are for people who have experienced things that have driven others to madness, or left them dead or hollow. They are an acknowledgement that what is to be said must be said, but that there is some trauma so common in this world that it is almost guaranteed that it will effect some people.
Imagine living through an event that was so horrible and so painful that your mind and body just wanted to shut down? Imagine that something happened to you that left you for ever changed? Imagine that there is a scar on your soul that you are certain you will carry with you into the next life and beyond.
That is what trigger warnings are about.
There are things that are common. There are things that humans regularly do to their fellow humans, that are so horrible that they should never happen. Those are the “easy” trigger warnings. Easy is in quotes, because I just mean those are the ones that are easy for us to think of.
Then there are other triggers that are not so simple. Some things are hard to warn about because you really don’t know. If I manage to hit one of those without warning, I apologize.
Sometimes you know what your triggers are. After all, you know what the root cause is, so that can kind of tell you what you should avoid to stay away from that emotional place
Sometimes you know what your triggers are, and sometimes you don’t.
Imagine being afraid to walk into a toy store, because you are not sure if you are going to walk away happy, or holding back tears. Imagine looking at a calendar, and the date being enough to push you to the edge of sanity. Imagine city parks being a place of terror because you don’t know if the laughter of children is going to make you happy, or cause you to break down in tears.
Time heals all wounds, but deep wounds leave scars as they heal
That is what trigger warnings are about.
If you don’t have any triggers, great. I am happy for you. Read the article in question, and assume what you will. Please though, don’t go off on a rant about political correctness gone mad. Having a scar is not about being weak. It is about having survived.