While I wouldn’t say it’s “bad” to look for the trauma memory behind the trigger, I would say it’s not recommended. This is because Trying to push for memories in dissociative systems can make the system less stable. Pushing for memories before the system is ready can increase dissociation, overwhelm, nightmares, switching, shutdown, or emotional flooding.
Trauma symptoms do not always point to a single event or memory. This is especially true with complex trauma, which is common in people with DID or OSDD. With complex trauma, triggers develop in response to repeated experiences rather than a single event.
This page is part of the Why Do I Get Triggered Without Knowing Why? section of the CommuniDID site, which explains how trauma associations form and why the nervous system can react automatically before you consciously recognize what caused the reaction.
Explore more:
- Questions about being triggered without knowing why
- You will find more about body memories in Body-Based Symptoms in DID
- Unrecognized Trauma Memories
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