Let’s start with some info about ‘triggers’.

In psychology, a ‘trigger’ is a sight, smell or sound that activates feelings of trauma. People typically use this term when describing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is a common reaction to traumatic or stressful events. Common events that result in PTSD include serious accidents, assaults (sexual and otherwise), rape, abuse (both emotional and physical), war and conflict, torture, and the loss of a child.

When someone is triggered they are reminded of past trauma, which can cause them to feel overwhelming sadness, anxiety, or panic. It may also cause someone to have flashbacks.

Right – now that you have the info, let’s delve into the story about how a maths question about breakfast “triggered” some kids in the UK.

Here’s The Telegraph:

Pupils protested that a maths GCSE question about how many calories a woman had consumed for breakfast was distressing for anyone who has struggled with an eating disorder.

One student, a recovering anorexic, told how she was so upset by the question that she had to leave the exam hall in a panic.

Let’s take a look at the question:

“There are 84 calories in 100g of banana. There are 87 calories in 100g of yogurt. Priti has 60g of banana and 150g of yogurt for breakfast. Work out the total number of calories in this breakfast”.

It’s not uncommon for people who suffer from anorexia or other eating disorders to count calories. It’s also not uncommon for dieticians, people on healthy diets, sportspeople, and people trying to gain weight after illness to count calories.

The term ‘triggered’ is being thrown around a lot lately to describe anything that upsets someone or reminds them of a difficult time.

Being triggered is different from working through a disorder like anorexia. Let’s hear from the students who were supposedly ‘triggered’:

Poppy-Willow Kent, a student from Colchester, wrote on Twitter: “I am sorry, but can I ask what on earth you were thinking by having a question around counting calories?

“Your exams are primarily taken by 15-20 year olds, who are also the age group most likely to suffer from eating disorder.”

A 16-year-old student from Hampshire added: “The weighing food and calorie question on the paper today triggered me so much. Hopefully it didn’t upset anyone else who suffers.

Look, the question here is where do we draw the line? Triggers, especially for sufferers of PTSD can take on many, sometimes seemingly random forms. That’s why cognitive behavioural therapies are designed to help someone identify, and then deal with, triggers if they encounter them in the real world.

Why? Because the real world can’t be completely reworked to account for everyone’s specific triggers.

Regardless, Pearson, which owns the exam board EdExcel, carried out a review of the question, and found the complaints to be valid.

Anyone who felt traumatised by the question can contact them, and rewrite the exam.

People throw around words like ‘snowflake’ very liberally, but in this specific instance, I can’t help but agree.

[source:telegraph]