A siren sounds—a car alarm, not a rocket—but the heart races anyway. A news headline flashes, and suddenly you're back in October.
These are triggers—external cues that activate traumatic memories. Mental Health First Aid Israel equips individuals and volunteers with strategies to manage them.
Grounding techniques help: noticing five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch. Breathing exercises calm the nervous system. Reassurance from a trusted person can anchor you in the present.
MHFA Israel also trains communities to reduce unnecessary triggering—thoughtful media use, advance warnings before difficult discussions, and sensitivity to anniversaries.
Triggers may never fully disappear. But with practice, their power fades.
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