Manage Your Triggers

I personally don't have triggers, but I can imagine for someone that does they can be hard to manage at times, especially when someone talks about something regarding that topic. I think managing triggers could be learning how to cope when you're triggered - and how you handle it. Some things that could be worth considering is having a back up support system (a close friend or family member, for example) that you can contact when you're triggered and they'll be able to help calm you. If no one is around or able to help at the time, it's also a good plan to resort to coping mechanisms when you're able to such as listening to calm, instrumental music, drawing or painting, and so on. Anything that calms you really!

For me, I don't think of it in terms of managing my triggers, but managing my condition. I have little control over how much a particular trigger affects me, other than medication. I do make use of short term prophylactic medications as well as altering my long term ones when it comes to certain triggers. I don't really feel that's managing the triggers themselves though.

The same goes for avoidance or limiting how many triggers I'm dealing with at a time. For example, with smoky air I try to keep my physical activity level really low. I don't consider avoidance to be managing triggers though, nor do I think most people consider this to be managing triggers.

I wish I could actually diminish the effect different triggers have on me overall, something besides medication use. I suppose I've done this slightly with physical activity - by getting my strength and endurance up, the same activities are generally less demanding on me compared to the past. I have no clue how to accomplish this with the others though.