Ask the Experts: PTSD Triggers

Ask the Experts...

Dear Burn Community, 

Welcome to "Ask the Experts," Journey Magazine's advice column. In this edition, we received questions about navigating life as a burn survivor from childhood to adulthood. While no two experiences are the same, there are many common themes and struggles that burn survivors and their loved ones face throughout their journey—regardless of their age.

As always, we drew on our personal and professional experiences to offer guidance and do our best to make it good advice! Just remember that our opinions and views can never replace the diagnosis, treatment, or care of a licensed physician or mental health professional.

Whether you're a survivor, loved one, or burn support professional, we want to hear your questions and concerns—and nothing is off limits! Odds are, someone else is facing a similar challenge, and submitting your question can help them too. Have a question? Submit to resources@phoenix-society.org with the subject line "Ask the Experts."

Sincerely,

Lise, Samoana, Felicia

Question: PTSD Triggers

Dear Experts,

I experience anxiety every year when we have to turn on the furnace for the first time. The burning smell also triggers my PTSD. Do you have any tips for coping or easing my fear?

Michelle 

RESPONSE FROM DR. LISE DEGUIRE

Dear Michelle, 

Thank you for your question, which I'm sure many survivors can relate to. Anyone who has been burned has endured the trauma of the accident, plus the subsequent, on-going traumas of burn treatment. Many of us get triggered by certain smells, sights, sounds and even times of the year. For me, I am profoundly triggered by the smell of rubber, which reminds me of the anesthesia mask that used to be forced over my mouth when I was a child. That smell still gets me, over 50 years later.

I have a few suggestions for you. Each of these ideas has the purpose of grounding you in the present, and reassuring you that you are now safe and well.

• Prior to turning on the furnace, talk out loud to yourself in a reassuring way. For example: "I am safe and it is 2022. My accident happened in the past and I am okay now.”

• Do not judge yourself for having anxiety. It is common to have anxiety when you have been traumatized. Instead, comfort yourself as kindly as you would your best friend, if they were burned.

• If you are able, stand on your feet and ground yourself in your five senses. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you smell? What do you taste? Bounce up and down slightly on your feet, so you can feel your weight on the floor. This exercise physically grounds you in the present moment, and not the traumatic past.

• Ask a trusted friend or family member to accompany you when you turn on the furnace. Do not do this chore alone, if you don't have to.

• Once the furnace is lit and the smell is gone, repeat the steps above to ground and comfort yourself again.

I hope these suggestions bring you comfort and peace. As always, if your symptoms are severe and unrelenting, please consider consulting your own therapist for further guidance and care. All the best to you.

Dr. Lise Deguire graduated from Tufts University and earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Hahnemann/Widener University. She is the author of her award-winning memoir Flashback Girl: Lessons on Resilience from a Burn Survivor. She is a blogger for Psychology Today and has appeared on NPR, NBC, ABC, FOX, Sirius XM, and numerous podcasts. Dr. Deguire writes a blog about psychological resilience issues and is a national keynote speaker. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband, Douglas Behan, two wonderful daughters, and one rambunctious dog. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or her website, LiseDeguire.com.