Triggered or Just Feeling Emotions? How to Tell the Difference

By Tyana Tavakol, LMFT – Trauma Therapist in Los Angeles & Virtual Trauma Therapist Across CA and FL

Introduction

Do you ever question the emotions that surface in your day-to-day life, wondering if what you’re feeling is rooted in the present moment or if it’s actually a survival response tied to something from your past?

As a trauma therapist supporting clients in Los Angeles, and as a virtual trauma therapist across CA and FL, this is one of the most common challenges that comes up in trauma therapy, especially during the early stages of trauma healing and trauma recovery.

In this blog post, we’re exploring how to tell the difference between grounded emotions and trauma triggers and I’ll share tools that can help you make sense of what’s happening when your nervous system suddenly feels spooked.

What Does It Mean to Be Triggered?

When you’re triggered, your mind and body are transported instantly into a past traumatic experience. Your nervous system detects something in your present environment that feels similar enough to a previous threat and decides: This is danger.

Here’s what happens in your brain and body when a trigger gets activated:

1. Your brain tries to interpret what just happened.

Both the emotional and logical parts of your brain start to process the experience.

2. Your emotional brain takes control.

If it senses a severe threat, it overrides your logical thinking so it can act quickly.

3. Your nervous system activates for protection.

This can look like:

• A racing heart or shallow breathing

• Fight or flight reactions

• People-pleasing to de-escalate

• Shutting down or dissociating

When your logical brain is offline, your reactions feel urgent, overwhelming, and out of your control. Your brain cannot distinguish between past danger and present neutrality — it reacts first and asks questions later.

Triggered vs. Just Feeling Emotions: How to Tell the Difference

Emotions themselves are normal chemical reactions in the body. Everyone experiences them — even those without a trauma history.

But triggers bring:

• Intensity

• Urgency

• Narrowed perspective

• A sense of being overtaken

If you’re experiencing emotion and can still do the following, it’s less likely you're in a trigger:

• Hold multiple perspectives instead of one rigid interpretation

• Notice the emotion without becoming overwhelmed

• Feel non-urgent about how you need to respond

• Watch the emotion rise and fall rather than staying stuck in it

These signs indicate your nervous system is still grounded enough to stay in the present.

How to Work With Triggers When They Show Up

Triggers can feel scary, but you can lower their intensity over time.
Because trauma lives in the body, grounding and regulating the body is the most effective way to move through a trigger.

Awareness is always the first step. Learning to notice when you’re triggered is what opens the door to regulation.

Recommendations for This Month’s Trauma Healing Focus

If you want to deepen your awareness and regulation skills, here are two resources:

1. Trigger Reflection Exercise

A free guide to help you explore sensations, thoughts, and patterns that show up when you're triggered.

2. Subtle Grounding Practices

A grounding tool sheet with four gentle techniques you can use anywhere — especially when you can’t step away.

It can be confusing when you're first learning to differentiate between a trauma trigger and a normal emotional reaction. That confusion is completely normal — and it gets easier over time.

You're doing your best to learn, understand yourself, and heal.
That is more than enough. ❤️