Stop Being So Trigger-Happy With Trigger Warnings

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Hi, Thought Catalog! Before I start, I should talk about me and establish some guidelines, as is my right. Here’s what you need to know: My name is ******, I love movies (esp. Wes Anderson), and my childhood is a blur except for one summer at Craft Camp where I was raped on the regular by an alcoholic scrapbooking instructor.

That routine of forcible lovemaking abuse left me with hella boundless layers of trauma. To name a few, I experience seasonal depression during the peak camping months of summer. I am loath to participate in arts or crafts of any kind (unless you count cutting myself). Even the slightest whiff of mucilage can take me straight back to the hump cots…but my real dilemma is this: Every time I was violated by my instructor, he would scream, “TRIGGER WARNING!” just before he ejaculated his filth all over my face and scrapbook. Since then, I cannot read or hear the words “trigger warning” without opening a personal vault of flashbacks and depression. It is not cool.

Words hurt, and hate speech isn’t free speech. The point is that I’m damaged—anyone who’s met me will tell you that—and I don’t need the essence of my damage rejuvenated by trigger warnings. These trigger warnings have the power to bring back all the stickers and gin stank and rape, and yet they’re flung around without so much as a cautionary notice. There needs to be a mandatory “heads up,” a warning, of sorts, placed upon all media that may contain trigger warnings. If you insist on being trigger-happy with trigger warnings, then I deserve a trigger warning warning. Do not ignore what I implore…I warn you to warn me.

This should happen if only for my sake, but I think I speak for everybody (especially Craft Critter Troop 306) when I demand that trigger-warning warnings are required by law. It’s the least you can do because I’m raped, and while I don’t like to point fingers, it is your fault. Therefore, I demand attention, I demand warnings, and I demand I get them from YOU. Any help I demand is appreciated.