When Triggers Hide in Plain Sight: Everyday Activators of Deep Pain
- Nada Johnson
- Jul 19
- 4 min read
Hi, I’m Nada. I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that can feel confusing and often goes unnoticed.
Those moments when a small sound, a phrase, or even a smell suddenly makes you feel uneasy, anxious, or shut down.
Maybe nothing obvious happened. Maybe everything seemed fine on the outside. But inside, something shifted.
If you’ve ever found yourself feeling that way and didn’t quite know why you’re not alone.
Sometimes, what we’re feeling is a trauma trigger, and it doesn’t always look the way we expect it to. It can be quiet, subtle, and even surprising.
In this blog, I’ll gently walk you through what triggers are, how they show up, and why they make so much sense, especially if you’ve been through something hard. You deserve to understand what’s happening in your body and to feel safe making sense of it, one step at a time.
🚪Triggers Don’t Always Look Like Triggers
When we hear the word trigger, most people imagine something big like a loud noise, a scary memory, or a panic attack. But triggers can be quiet. Small. Ordinary.
They can look like:
A certain smell that reminds you of a person or place
Someone raising their voice even if they’re not yelling at you
Being asked “Where are you?” in a text
Getting interrupted when you're trying to speak
A joke that feels a little too familiar
From the outside, these things might not seem like a big deal. But for your body and nervous system, they can feel just like the moment the original harm happened.
As writer Grace Evelyn puts it, “Trauma is happening in front of us all the time but we don’t know how to recognize it, let alone respond” (Evelyn, 2016).
And when people don’t recognize it, they often dismiss it or worse, blame you for how you feel.
🧠 You’re Not Overreacting, You’re Protecting Yourself
When your brain senses something familiar to a past hurt, it reacts fast. That reaction can look like shutting down, people-pleasing, getting snappy, zoning out, or even feeling nothing at all.
You might feel like your emotions come “out of nowhere,” but they don’t. Your body is remembering.
Even if you don’t consciously think of what happened, a part of you remembers how it felt. That’s how trauma works, it stores itself in your body, not just your thoughts (PsychCentral, 2022).
So if you’ve ever felt like your reaction didn’t match the situation, please hear this:
You’re not being dramatic. You’re not too sensitive. You’re not broken.
You’re doing your best to feel safe in a world that hasn’t always been safe for you.
🌱 How You Can Start to Heal
You don’t have to live in survival mode forever. Healing takes time, but it is absolutely possible and you don’t have to do it alone.
Here are a few gentle ways to start:
Notice what shifts. Did your chest tighten? Did your stomach drop? Pay attention to what your body is saying.
Name it if you can. “That smell reminded me of something.” “That tone felt familiar.” Naming it gives you power.
Be kind to yourself. You are not weak for having a reaction. You are strong for noticing it.
Try grounding yourself. Deep breathing, touching something soft, moving your body, or stepping outside can help bring you back.
Reach out. Whether it’s a therapist, a support group, or someone safe talking about it helps.
💬 A Note From Me to You
If you’ve read this far, I want to say this directly:
You’re not imagining it. You’re not failing. And you don’t have to carry it all on your own.
Your body has been doing everything it can to protect you even when you didn’t have the words.
At NJCCS, I offer gentle, trauma-informed support that meets you where you are.
There’s no pressure to “fix” everything. Just space to understand yourself better, step by step.
You deserve safety. You deserve peace. And most of all you deserve to feel whole again.
📧 Contact me at info@nadajohnsonservices.com if this blog spoke to you.
Warm Regards,
Nada Johnson, MSW, RSW
Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist / trained Family Mediator / EMDR Trained Therapist / Certified Racial Trauma Clinician / Mental Health & Sexual Violence Consultant / Professional Speaker
🌍Website: www.nadajohnsonservices.com
📩 Contact: info@nadajohnsonservices.com
Nada Johnson Consulting & Counselling Services - Online phone and video sessions available
Village Healing Centre: 240 Roncesvalles Avenue
C: 437-887-6146
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📚 References
Evelyn, G. (2016). How trauma is hidden in plain sight (and why nobody does anything about it). Vocal Media. https://vocal.media/psyche/how-trauma-is-hidden-in-plain-sight-and-why-nobody-does-anything-about-it
PsychCentral. (2022, September 2). What are trauma triggers? https://psychcentral.com/health/trauma-triggers
PTSD UK. (n.d.). Understanding PTSD, flashbacks, and triggers. https://www.ptsduk.org/what-is-ptsd/understanding-ptsd-flashbacks-and-triggers/
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