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What Will Trigger?


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I never know when to post a trigger warning on things. Triggers are so different for people, and I would hate to accidentally trigger someone with a post. Are there any guidelines or suggestions on when to post a trigger warning for things?

Apologies if this has been asked and answered before.

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Hmmm I don't know. I tend to stick in the boundaries of if I have to ask I go with it. Better safe than sorry. For the most part anything that might be offensive to someone or potentially bring up bad memories or cause bad feelings I stick a trigger warning on it. I don't know if theres an official method to trigger warnings. Sorry. That's just personally what I do.

:throb:

Moe

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Thanks, Moe. I, too, err on the side of caution. But then I find that I'm putting *tw* on every post I start. Later I read and think, silly Jane! :)

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It's ok. It's kind of nice to have a TW there just in case anyway... :) And maybe later if you feel it wasn't necessary you can remove it. Its all situational y'know?

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I don't really write posts that need trigger warnings. But usually if I'm not sure I'll warn people just to be on the safe side.

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I generally post a trigger warning on everything. I have some odd triggers, and I'd rather err on the side of caution, personally. Still, you're correct in that it can be so tiresome to add it on everything. A good rule of thumb is stick a warning on most basic triggers (graphic descriptions of abuse, for example) and if there is ever a need for warnings on what appears to be a neutral subject, often if it is troublesome for a member they'll bring it to our attention and we'll ask you to add a trigger warning or we'll do it for you. :)

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does this mean we need trigger warnings in places like share your story..or the forum for different types of sexual assult..i never put them in those posts anymore..cos well..it seemd to me to be kinda obvoius that post in those areas were gonna contain difficult subject matter..so..potentially anyhing in there could be trigering anyways...my thinking was then..if your reading those boards..ya must assume its gonna have some hard to read stuff before ya even open the post..so a TW would be a moot point

or am i wrong?

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i usedto do that..but then after thinking about it..it jst seemed kinda sily...kinda...well..to be honest, my think was ....

'ok..share your story..well, it aint gonna be a story bout sunshine, buttefflies and fairys..not on this board! so....why put in a warning..surly ppl r not gonna be shocked to learn that my story is somewhat harrowing...so...seems like i sed..a moot point to warn.

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I tend to try to put a trigger warning on anything that might contain anything explicit and could therefore trigger, but I often avoid Share Your Story and Different Types of Sexual Assault; also one or two of the more potentially upsetting parts of the forum if I'm not feeling like I could cope very well at the time, as I know that some of the content could be very triggering.

I think that if we put a trigger warning on virtually anything we write, then it makes the warning ineffectual. Everyone is going to have their individual triggers and it's impossible to avoid everything in life - we could find ourselves avoiding names, places, smells, food, drink, music, etc, the list is endless. I agree with Sonnet.

Atlantis

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First names are a trigger for me. Particularly two, one male one female. One of the staff I respect most has the same name as the worst person my world. This staff-member signs almost all their posts with their first name but I still adore them, they are the opposite to the individual who harmed me.

In order to avoid everyones triggers we would all have to stop posting our names. Or our partners names. Or our kids. Or our pets ! I have a cat called Bob, I remember a post about an abuser called Bob, someone I like a lot has a pet who's name I refused to speak for two years! (You know who you are- thank you again for the permission to be so weird, he's a lovelly animal really). We just can't avoid all the triggers all the time!

I was a member of a board and chat once where the members were expected to avoid everyones triggers all the time. It got ridiculous! You couldn't say "milk" or "red" or "pirate" in chat! I left in the end.

There are some boards on which you expect it, or should. Share Your Story will be rough reading. Sex and Relationships may be graphic too. However Humour and Silliness needs warnings for sure. As does Simply Life.

I don't want to see people running scared from some words on a screen but likewise I don't wanna see people running from typing them "just in case".

We come here to deal with the fallout. Lets do that.

I side with Sonnet and Atlantis, and vote trigger warnings only on the really disturbing stuff. Accurate titles are much more helpfull.

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Ugh. Sorry if I offend everyone, but I didn't last very long on a lot of other survivor boards and chats over the last 10 years, because after a while i just couldn't be f'ed with the militant PCness and 'survivor sensitivity' that was going on.

For instance, let me recall........

1) No red font. Red font makes ppl wanna cut

2) Red font reminds ppl of blood post assault

3) Red font triggers SRA survivors

4) No gothic type font - triggers SRA survivors

5) Sad or angry emoticons trigger memories of abuser's rage

6) Ditto ANY type of vent

7) All alters had to type in their own font, to avoid confusion

8) Persons with particularly graphic stories only able to show them to the mods but not post them as they were too triggering and not safe for 'any member' (Yes, I got that email)

9) Any difference of opinion with some assertiveness to it was seen as 'attacking'

10) No mention of Halloween

11)........ do you get the point?

I love AS

I don't have to worry about any of that crap!!!!

Triggers here are within reasonable boundaries, thank god (woops cant say that either cos of SRA and offended Christians) I don't have to worry about it.

:bighug:

Rach

Edited by Liyahsmum
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i was a memebr of the board wolfie refers too also...it was crazy!!! rach..the board you were at sounds very similar to th one wolfie and I both found ourselves on.

It was soooooooooooooo frustrating!!

they has a ban on red type also....and it got to the point i was soooo pissed off with it that i would end up tying in as dark pink as i possibly could, just to be a brat about it..attesting to the suposedly offended ppl that 'my font is PINK!!! pink is a fluffy clolor!!!'

I never quite understood the whole 'red font being a trigger for SRA thing'...i was rutally abused...red font never came into it!! yea..ok....i saw words in blood....words in blood are nothing like red font..words in blood are not BRIGHT RED!!!!

We were not allowed to mention the words like rape or abuse etc..yet the chat room we used...the words rape were in HUGE letters at the top of the room..you coundlt miss it!

We had to put spoliers on practially everything..which i think, really just drew more atention to the word..cos, ya would notice all these stars breaking up a word, and your mind would autonaticly go to that word and figure it out...plus...just cos a word has a * on it..does this actually DO anything....i mean..... ok...here...kitten...ki*ten..... im bettin ppl read these words the same in their heads..so..i dont get what the *'s actually do...that being said...i have usedthem before myself..jsut cos i find certain words too un-bearable to type out...however, when they are used on almost every little word..it jsut gets silly.

anyways...im glad i left that board ( the one wolfie refers to)...it just got silly....seemed less like a healing survivor community and more like a pandering to dramatics centre!

Im glad im now at AS...this place is a breathe of fresh air...its good to be part of a community of people who really are all working together in an empowering and supportive manner...and also, great to be part of a comunity were you can have adult discussions...and where you can disagree with others and know that just cos you dont necesarily agree with thing,s you are still respected and your opnioned listened to.

oh...and Defo good to be in a comminuty that doesnt make dramatics outta the Horrors of Red Font!'

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Well said!!! :)

Edited by tmj1984
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Thanks, Sonnet. I appreciate your perspective. I love AS also, and find it a great community. I've never had experience at others, but it does sound like they had crazy rules.

I hope that no one misunderstood this post as me trying to advocate or institute those kinds of rules. I was just looking for some feedback, so as not to offend anyone.

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I tend to put trigger warnings and graphic warnings on everything just to cover myself. That way if someone gets upset, I can point out on the board that I pointed it out several times. I do it in the title and within the text. I'm glad I do this because I've actually had someone tell me my topic was inappropriate. I did the topic for the other members because several members had done topics on this very subject. I hope this helps.

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