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Intuition vs Triggers
How to accurately read people without letting past trauma cloud your judgement
As a survivor and seasoned psychotherapist specializing in complex trauma treatment, one of the most challenging aspects of recovery that I’ve encountered is distinguishing between intuition and being triggered. Although both can feel like sudden emotional reactions, they arise from different places and have different qualities.
In contrast to a triggered response, meaning an intense emotional reaction tied to past trauma or stress, intuition arises from a sense of inner knowing or ‘a gut feeling.’ It may feel calm and centered, even if it’s alerting you to something potentially important or protective. Intuitive feelings tend to feel grounded and internal, not tied to a specific emotional charge but rather to an inner understanding or deep sense of clarity.
Being triggered, however, usually feels like an immediate, overwhelming reaction to something external that seems out of proportion to the immediate situation. This is because it is tied to past experiences or deeper, unresolved feelings. These responses may be involuntary and might manifest as feelings of anger, anxiety, sadness, or frustration.
When triggered intense surges of anxiety, anger, fear, or helplessness are often out of proportion to…