Trigger Warnings

Public shaming is not a restriction per se. Only the person whom is responsible for the page can restrict your access to it. If I were in a room full of people shaming me, I would leave.

I have very mixed feeling on this topic.

I do a lot of work with people who have or have had eating disorders and that expression "trigger warning" started popping up a lot on pro ana sites in the late 90's specifically because some people were attempting recovery but still needed a place to be where they felt understood and there needed to be some kind of warning system to help prevent exposing those people to information that would potentially trigger them.

The expression was used in a way that meant "You may not like what you read, so viewer discretion is advised!"

The expression is SO valid for so many reasons, particularly because your brain responds to trigger and repeated patterns. That just how its designed. And used in that way I think its great. If you don't want to see or be exposed to something, awesome. don't read on.

BUT

I fear that it sometimes becomes a way to avoid the reality of life, and avoid developing the emotional resilience required to cope with some of those realities. Bubble wrapping people does not help them. Maybe while they are in the middle of the trauma, isolation from upsetting elements is a good thing, but hiding from triggers (in my opinion) can often lead to increased anxiety, phobias, unhealthy emotional responses and an inability to self regulate oneself.

I have seen it as a way to self identify too, a way to label ones sense of significance. Which I think is very dangerous to a persons mental and emotional health.

rugadd wrote: Public shaming is not a restriction per se. Only the person whom is responsible for the page can restrict your access to it. If I were in a room full of people shaming me, I would leave.

This is exactly how public shaming works. They gang up on you and psychological stress you, to the point where you simply desist from whatever you were originally doing.

Brenna wrote: I have seen it as a way to self identify too, a way to label ones sense of significance. Which I think is very dangerous to a persons mental and emotional health.

I've seen it too, all the time. The former-Christian-turned-wiccan who sets up his "new" identity by crying out about how pagans for centuries have been burned at the stake, and even take a certain joy in bashing people of their former faith; vegans who feel the need to spell out "murderer" in ketchup on top of your burger; animal rights activists who take their time to actually assault people wearing fur coats. It's the whole "us vs. them mentallity" that gets the better of us and makes us participate in this social violence with no end.

Yes Brenna, I agree! I work with people with PTSD on a daily basis and triggers are a very particular things with very specific psychological/physiological reactions (though the reactions differs from person to person), and generally "trigger warnings" don't help them much (not the ones I've worked with anyhow).

And one of my biggest pet peeves is that a many of the people who use and encourage excessively sensitive behaviour in inappropriate places claim to have mental health problems BUT are not under any form of treatment. I don't understand how they are hyper aware of "triggers" but not aware that if you're that strongly affected by something you read, that you should probably be under treatment (and this is Canada, so free health care...). I suppose that comes from my job, of which part is ensuring people are under appropriate treatment.

I dunno...I find myself more and more resentful of the people who do these kinda of things. I just stay away from those battles on social media, but it hurts me to see good people being shamed within an inch of their lives for joke or offhand comment. And I resent that I have to second guess everything I say in my own community.

EDIT:
Just wanted to add - I believe in social justice, but within reason and moderation.

I am going to preface my opinion with a bit about myself to give some perspective. I in my life time have seen a lot of bad things. I have survived physical abuse that was pretty bad, sexual abuse which to be blunt was a lot milder then most who have had to deal with such things experienced, being forced to hide my sexuality while coming to terms with it because the military was dont ask dont tell, and the loss of a good friend to his own hand.

Why do I say these things? Because these are things that many people say have given them triggers. Or that some words, phrases, actions, are insulting to them. Frankly these statements annoy me. Why? Because YOU are responsible for your emotions and your reaction to the world around you. We are supposed to take charge of our outlook and our emotions not just as Jedi but as a healthy person. So no one should have to censor themselves or apologize for using a particular verbage YOU choose to get upset by.

Good example I came out to my family not more then five years ago. They still use terms like thats so gay or even the term that used to mean a bundle of sticks. Why? Because they mean an insult to me and my boyfriend? No they have never had an issue with the LGBT community even before I came out and are even more accepting now that I am out. They use those words because they have popular meaning in common parlance. My and my boyfriend use them BOTH and we sure dont hate other LGBT people.

What I think is that A) people need to get over their own outlooks and give people the benefit of the doubt unless given good reason to think otherwise. Unless someone says something directly and clearly meant to offend then you can just unsubscribe or not participate in the conversation if you do not like the phrasing, C) toughen the heck up. To quote Rocky Life is hard and mean and will beat you to the floor if you let it and nothing hits harder then life does. Life isnt about blame its about getting up and continuing on and not letting other people dictate your self-worth that word has SELF in it for a reason.

Miss_Leah wrote: people who use and encourage excessively sensitive behaviour in inappropriate places claim to have mental health problems BUT are not under any form of treatment. .

THIS THING RIGHT HERE.

This is what Im talking about with the identifiers. I am by no means diminishing real mental illnesses, but making it part of your identity and creating an environment that fosters it is the problem. It becomes a way to "show" people who you are. Like the special snow flake A type personalities who will tell you that they only drink mineral water at room temperature. Someone on a special diet or crossfitters :woohoo:

Im not saying there's anything wrong with doing these things, but people who cling to that as part of WHO THEY ARE, rather than what they do or what they experience is the same behavior as someone who uses their own emotional difficulties or potential mental illness as a way to feel unique. People who do that, never heal because they acnt. It becomes who they are, and they are often unable to let go of it which is why they never get real help or participate in helping themselves.


Also, social media battles. Not even worth it.

*disclaimer. This is my view from my own professional experience and education and does not encompass ALL mental illness. Im also not saying that anyone who does not recover from mental illness is to blame for their own situation. But I am saying that they have more control over it than many of them realise or will accept.

Brenna wrote: *disclaimer. This is my view from my own professional experience and education and does not encompass ALL mental illness. Im also not saying that anyone who do not recover from mental illness are to blame for their own situation. But I am saying that they have more control over it than many of them realise or will accept.

Ok first off you owe me a new tea because I just spit out a good bit of it when read that cross fit line.

Secondly your disclaimer is PERFECT. People have much much more control then they realize over their situation. I used to volunteer at a women's advocacy group for battered women and one of the first things you learn while getting certified as a DV and sexual assault crisis counselor is to give people their power back by explaining that they have choices and control far more then they think in many situations. Realizing that there is much that you in fact do control is a good first step to healing because helplessness and stagnation go hand in hand and will sink you into a pattern that does nothing but reinforce your issues rather then get you fixing them.

hee hee hee. my work here is done!


Thanks! Its more than just empowerment. Its also about education. there are SO many aspects to mental health that people just dont know because its not something that gets encouraged... and it doesnt really make anyone any money. But prevention and wellness is hardly a part of our medical model which I think is sad because that really IS dis empowering.

Manu wrote:

rugadd wrote: Public shaming is not a restriction per se. Only the person whom is responsible for the page can restrict your access to it. If I were in a room full of people shaming me, I would leave.

This is exactly how public shaming works. They gang up on you and psychological stress you, to the point where you simply desist from whatever you were originally doing.

Yes, but its not a restriction, its a room full of assholes. Why would I stick around once their character is shown?

[fixed]

EDIT:That last sentence is mine.