A Guide to PTSD Triggers (and How to Cope)

PTSD basics

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a highly traumatic incident, such as sexual violence or a natural disaster. In the United States, around 3.5% of adults deal with PTSD every year. 

Though a majority of people will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime, not everyone goes on to develop PTSD. Researchers aren’t 100% sure why some people get PTSD and others don’t. However, a higher risk for PTSD has been linked to factors such as:

• Not having enough social support

• Being young at the time of the traumatic event

• Having a history of other mental health conditions

• Experiencing additional stress on top of the initial trauma, such as losing a loved one, home, or job

• Being injured or witnessing others injured during the event

To be diagnosed with PTSD, you’ll experience certain symptoms that fall into the following four categories:

1. Intrusion: Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or nightmares of the traumatic event

2. Avoidance: Staying clear of anything that reminds you of the traumatic event

3. Cognitive and mood changes: Not being able to remember crucial parts of the traumatic event or having thoughts and feelings that cause you to view yourself or others in a negative way

4. Changes in arousal and reactivity: Irritability, angry outbursts, reckless or self-destructive behaviors, or trouble sleeping 

Note that to be diagnosed with PTSD, your symptoms must last for more than 1 month and cause major problems with daily functioning or your relationships. 

The above PTSD symptoms can be triggered by anything that causes distressing or uncomfortable reminders of the traumatic event. It’s important to know what triggers your PTSD symptoms so you can better manage them. 

In this guide, we’ll explore what PTSD triggers are, including some specific examples, and how you can cope.

Do I have PTSD triggers?

With PTSD, a trigger is something that brings on memories or reminders of a traumatic event. For example, flashbacks are often prompted by a trigger. The flashback causes you to feel as though you’re reliving the traumatic experience (or some parts of it) all over again. This can include reliving the emotions or body sensations you felt during the traumatic event.

Many different things can trigger your PTSD symptoms, such as: 

• Visual images

• Noise

• Smells

• Colors

• Food

• Even the weather 

Some PTSD triggers can be easily predicted and identified. For example, you can predict that driving past the place where you were sexually assaulted is likely to cause flashbacks of the incident. 

However, many triggers are harder to predict and may appear out of the blue or catch you off-guard. For example, while you’re out and about, someone might inadvertently bump into you. This can prompt you to feel extreme fear related to past physical abuse. 

Real-world examples of PTSD triggers

PTSD triggers can vary from person to person, but they are usually tied to your senses such as sight, smell, or sound. In addition, certain lifestyle factors — like not having enough social support — can worsen PTSD triggers. 

Below are 20 specific examples of triggers that can set off PTSD symptoms. Keep in mind everyone’s experience with PTSD and its symptoms is unique. Your triggers may be different than the specific examples listed below.

1. Panic: Several years ago you were in a car accident in which you struggled to open the door latch. You were stuck in the car for a brief, yet frightening, time. In the present moment, you’re unable to open the door latch to a public restroom stall. Panic may come over you, as you remember the car accident from several years ago. 

2. Medical care: After your cancer diagnosis, just scheduling a routine check-up with your healthcare provider triggers your PTSD symptoms. As a result, you may avoid all appointments after experiencing medical trauma.

3. Loud sounds: If you lived or battled in a war zone area, you may feel on edge, jumpy, and easily alarmed by loud, unexpected noises like fireworks or a car backfiring. 

4. Emotional pain: Seeing someone being racially discriminated against reminds you of the racial trauma you’ve endured over the years. 

5. Words: You hear words — even phrases like “I love you” — similar to those spoken or whispered during a sexual assault or physical abuse. 

6. Voice style or tone: You encounter someone with an accent or a tone of voice similar to your perpetrator’s. 

7. Angry voices: When someone raises their voice at you or speaks in a manner that sounds angry, it makes you remember when you were yelled at and verbally abused as a child. 

8. Physical traits: You see a person who bears some physical resemblance — such as a similar shaped nose or a distinctive walk — to the person who caused your trauma.  

9. Music: You hear a specific song, like the one that was playing at the bar the night you experienced a sexual assault or that was popular on the radio at the time you survived a natural disaster. 

10. Smell: The smell of whiskey reminds you of the alcohol you smelled during an incident. Or, the smell of burning coal reminds you of the fire you survived. 

11. Touch: A friend places their hand on your shoulder and it reminds you of when you were sexually abused. 

12. Taste: Eating spicy foods reminds you of when your abuser forced you to consume something just as spicy. 

13. Objects: A kitchen knife reminds you of when a mugger wielded a knife at you. 

14. Revisiting the trauma location: Traveling past the same building in which you were assaulted brings you back (mentally and emotionally) to the experience. 

15. Similar places: Going to the lake or beach reminds you of a time you nearly drowned, even if it’s not the exact same location where you experienced the trauma. 

16. Time of day: Your traumatic event happened at 11 p.m. Ever since, whenever it gets close to 11 p.m., you start recalling the incident.

17. Age reminders: Your child just turned the same age that you were when you experienced a traumatic event, which can trigger your PTSD symptoms. 

18. Disagreements or arguments: Whenever you have a disagreement or argument with someone, you remember the verbal conflicts you had with your ex-spouse and the domestic violence you may have endured.

19. Loss of a loved one: When your friend loses someone close to them, you remember the grief you felt after losing loved ones during community violence.  

20. Colors: You see a car with the same color as the one you were driving when you had a motor vehicle accident. 

How to cope with PTSD triggers

Try to recognize what triggers your PTSD symptoms so you know which situations, people, and things are likely to cause stress reactions. This way you can plan ahead and have strategies at the ready when you are triggered. 

Below are coping strategies and grounding techniques you can try.

Coping skills

When you are triggered, coping skills will help you manage your trauma response as it happens. For example, if you feel intense fear and freeze up, a deep breathing exercise can help calm your reaction. Other coping strategies may also be helpful: 

• Perform relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, meditation, muscle relaxation exercises, listening to soothing music, or getting in touch with nature.

• Think about something positive such as the smile on a loved one’s face, a pretty flower, or the sun setting. 

• Find positive ways to temporarily distract yourself from the memories or strong emotions that get triggered. Recreational and creative activities such as art, music, watching a comedy, or writing in a journal can help you manage difficult moments. 

• Temporarily distract away from your triggers using your thoughts. Try counting backward from 100, listing everything you can think of that starts with the letter ‘A,’ or naming as many states as possible. 

• Get moving. Activities like going for a walk, dancing around your bedroom, playing ping-pong, or any other form of physical movement will help you stay present. 

Don’t forget to talk to people you trust. By confiding in someone, such as a friend or family member, you’re likely to feel understood and less alone. The people in your support system also may be able to help you when you’re triggered. 

Grounding exercises

When triggers occur, grounding exercises may bring you back to the present. These focus on helping you recognize where you are, often using your body. One way to ground yourself during a PTSD trigger is to focus on the five senses. For example:

1. Name five things you can see right now (such as your bedroom wall).

2. Name four things you can feel right now (like the air conditioner breeze on your skin).

3. Name three things you can hear (such as music playing).

4. Name two things you can smell (like your usual perfume). 

5. Name one thing you can taste right now (such as any aftertaste of grapefruit in your mouth). 

Other ways to use your senses to ground yourself when you experience a PTSD trigger include:

• Using a weighted blanket

• Petting a furry cat or dog

• Sucking on a sour candy

• Holding ice in your hands

• Focusing on the sensation of your feet on the floor

• Naming all the objects of a certain color you can see

• Squishing a stress ball or putty

• Running warm water over your hands

Sometimes people find it helpful to remind themselves of the present time with their thoughts, too. For example, remind yourself of the date and year or where you currently live. It may also help to name that you’re triggered and remind yourself the fear you feel does not always mean you’re in real danger right now. 

Get treatment for PTSD

If coping methods alone aren’t working well enough for you, speak with your healthcare provider  about your trauma and PTSD triggers. They can refer you to a mental health professional who can help you understand what situations are likely to trigger your PTSD symptoms, plus treat your PTSD.

PTSD is typically treated with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. You can learn more about your treatment options in this guide to treating PTSD. 

You can also contact SAMHSA’s free, confidential helpline at any time for referrals to mental health support groups, local treatment centers, and community organizations. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911 or visit the closest emergency room.  

Keep in mind

Keep in mind that researchers are still trying to learn more about PTSD — including the underlying causes of why people react to trauma in various ways plus how learning, sleep, or changes in the body impact fear memories. Researchers are also exploring ways to prevent people from developing PTSD soon after they’ve been exposed to trauma. 

Remember that learning to manage your PTSD triggers and symptoms is a process, and it’s important to know when to seek professional help. The American Psychological Association says that if PTSD symptoms last for more than a year, they might not resolve on their own — and it’s never too late (or too early) to seek treatment. 

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Written by:

Kara-Marie Hall, RN, BSN, CCRN

Kara-Marie Hall, RN, BSN, CCRN, is a registered nurse who specializes in writing health content that connects with everyone — no matter where they are in their health journey. She has over 10 years of clinical experience in a variety of specialties, including critical care, surgery, and hospice.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

India B. Gomez, PhD

India B. Gomez, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with a certificate in Latin American Family Therapy. She completed her doctoral education at the California School of Professional Psychology/Alliant International University.

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