The Trigger Warning Debate

To be honest i'm not 100% sure how this debate came about. I recently watched a video of someone complaining (I won't mention specifics) about people who need trigger warnings, but now it's all over my feed and I don't think the video I watched is what sparked it, but I don't know. So this is just my 2 cents on trigger warnings.

Some people have a mental illness. I have PTSD from being in a house fire (back in 2012, I got lucky to be rescued by my neighbor with a ladder, I had been asleep upstairs and trapped by the time I woke up. Lost everything, house, pets, stuff, and almost my life, but I know I got lucky in the sense that i'm still here, and fire shot out the window right after we got out of it, so I don't have any burns. I did inhale a lot of smoke and did go to the hospital for that, and I got the lovely (sarcasm) souvenir of PTSD including, but not limited, to nightmares). That's when I realized I already had PTSD but I didn't know anything about PTSD. I had an abusive ex when I was 19-20 years old. I am not here to re-hash my stories in detail though. I've done that before.

Having a mental illness doesn't make you weak. People know the body can be sick, so can the mind. Having the flu doesn't mean your "a baby" or something, having a mental illness doesn't either.

I want to point out trigger/content warnings ARE NOTHING NEW! They have been on TV/Movies/Video Games for DECADES. WHY is it so controversial for books and books alone? No one seems to care about them on other types of media...so why books?

Trigger Warnings are completely without context, so they aren't spoiling anything. They are also not saying something is problematic. I have mentioned trigger warnings for books I gave 5 glowing stars too, because I loved them and they handled everything well. When I say a trigger warning, I am not saying something in it is "bad" or problematic, i'm just saying there is this type of content in here and I know some people won't be able to handle it, even if it's wonderfully handled, and that's ok, take care of yourself. Because PTSD doesn't just affect one type of trauma. It can be a house fire or abuse, like in my case, or any other number of traumatizing things.

"Just get counseling" Um...while counseling can be just what someone needs, so many people are unable to get it for various reasons. If you think getting counseling is that easy...your privilege and lack of awareness of it is showing. I don't know how to be nice about this, so sorry not sorry.

I can talk about and experience fire in things much more now than I could in 2012 right after it happened. Because healing is a process, and while I might never be 100% ptsd-free, that's ok with me. I've come to a point that I can function and live with it. If I hadn't taken steps to protect myself from triggering things in the beginning, from setting off panic attacks, I never would have got to where I am now. And i'm not ashamed to say i'm crying while typing this. Hell, my experience is why I avoid erotica with firemen in it, something that seems to be popular. I have nothing against others reading it, but i'm not going to be aroused, the point of erotica typically, while the hot fireman is making me relive that day. I am NOT saying people can't read the thing, i'm saying i'm not reading the thing. THAT'S ALL.

I have also struggled with Depression since I was a child. As a teen/early 20s I had suicidal thoughts, and started self-harming. I haven't self harmed in years though I do still get the occasional desire too. I am in a much better head-space than I used to be, however I still get bad days sometimes. I mention this because I know, on a bad day when those depressed thoughts are at the front of my mind, to NOT read a book with self-harm in it. I have books, that I want to and WILL read, that feature self-harm, because i've heard they deal with it well, I just know I won't read them on THOSE days because if I do I might spiral downwards again. It's self-care. I still will read them, just on a good day.

I also have realized it's why I don't read Medical Thrillers or Medical Erotica. I have VACTERL Association, which in a small nutshell is I was born with a lot of medical problems, that I will always have. Doctor visits, tests, surgeries, i'm well acquainted with them all, and have been since I was born. Yes, I needed that stuff, but it's can still set off symptoms of PTSD especially in a child. I always knew I needed it, I understood that. But it can still be a traumatizing experience, one that I doubt you'll get unless you've also been there. My husband has a 3D printer...the sound it makes is like the "beep beep" of those machines that keep track of your vitals in hospitals. I fucking hate it, but I don't tell him he can't use it. I have told him how it makes me feel (we didn't know ahead of time it even made that sound) and he understood and hugged me. So when I hear it I try to drown it out with my headphones and music.

I don't expect the world to coddle me, I know it won't, that isn't what people are asking for with trigger warnings. They are asking for a simple heads up so they can take care of themselves. They aren't asking these things to not exist or saying they are bad. It isn't someone else's place to tell them they are being ridiculous. You don't know their life, the person who would best know, is themselves. They are taking care of their mental health in the same way that someone who has the flu physically rests to take care of their body. So I say again...Trigger Warnings have been on other media for decades and no one bats an eye...why are books any different?

Another thing that has been mentioned/asked...is it the reviewers responsibility to mention trigger warnings? I understand why people would say yes or no to that. This is just my 2 cents. I don't think it's the reviewers responsibility. People have different lives, different awareness's, read and review for different reasons. For TV, Movies and Video Games it's always been the publisher or something along those lines that put their content warnings out there. That's why I think it is the publishers responsibility, same as it always has been with other media. Unfortunately so many publishers just don't seem to care. That's why reviewers are stepping up, out of the kindness of their hearts and for free, to simply help other readers in the way that the publishers should, but don't. I don't care if a reviewer mentions TW's or not, because as I said I don't think that is their responsibility, but I do appreciate the kind gesture from those that do.

There is probably more I could say or more to it but I can't think of it right now. I'm all for a discussion, as long as it stays respectful. These are just my 2 cents on the matter.