Trigger warnings in stories

[horrorotic]

Note: the term "trigger" is associated specifically with PTSD. It makes life harder for people with actual PTSD if the term is thrown around casually and imprecisely. "Content warning" is a broader term that encompasses stuff that might be distressing to readers without necessarily being PTSD-related.

There are some elements that, if they come together in just the wrong way, will provoke a sharp and extremely unpleasant anxiety response in me, even in fiction, because it evokes memories of some of the less pleasant episodes of my life. It doesn't happen at all, but when it does it's no fun at all.

I have friends who have similar reactions to other kinds of movie/TV scenes. I know of one very good writer here who was reading one of my stories and sending me enthusiastic feedback chapter by chapter, until she hit a scene that completely derailed her and she had to take a break from the story - I'm not sure whether she ever came back to it.

(I had in fact included a CW on that chapter for some content that I thought might be likely to bother people, but the aspect that derailed her was something entirely different - in hindsight reasonable, but I hadn't anticipated it.)

So people having a sharp unpleasant reaction to story elements certainly is a thing.

There is some argument over whether content warnings do more harm than good. AFAICT the evidence isn't very conclusive either way, but I default to the position of "give adults the information they need to make their own choices".



These are extremely blunt instruments, especially since many of the issues where warnings might be called for are not directly linked to the erotic theme of the story (which tends to dictate category) and the length/number of these fields is very limited. There's barely enough space in a tagline to advertise the main draw of a story, let alone mention a couple of things that might be bothersome to readers.

As time-and society-changes so the meanings of words. The internet, specifically social media-has caused 'triggered' to refer to anything that sets someone off.

Language evolves-or devolves-with society.

Not to sound funny, but come on, what did Gay mean back in prior times.

 

[yukonnights]

Considering we live in the time of the hypersensitive, 24/7 offended and people who look to be offended I'd say the warnings are useless, you can't-and shouldn't have to-list every single thing in your story.

I'd be snarky and say "I'm sure there's something here that will offend someone, you have been warned."

The OP, nor anyone else has said there's a need to list 'every single thing'. It's actually a very short list. Also, the issue of erotic content is extraneous to the original question. The OP also mentions hearing from a reader who would have elected to not read the story had they known about the content that was disturbing to them.

It's definitely each author's personal choice as to what to write and what might deserve a content warning — but that says more about the individual author than the validity of content warnings in general. Content warnings are common in film media. Published literature usually has much more content preview than stories here do. I don't see any problem with a content preview/warning in either medium — and if these spare one person from mental distress ….

Frankly, I just don't see where a content warning is going to ruin a story. In some cases it may actually draw in a reader.

The antonym of hypersensitive is insensitive. So the argument cuts both ways.

 

[KeithD]

As time-and society-changes so the meanings of words. The internet, specifically social media-has caused 'triggered' to refer to anything that sets someone off.

Language evolves-or devolves-with society.

Not to sound funny, but come on, what did Gay mean back in prior times.

Um, as I noted the general use of the verb "triggered" as a releasing mechanism goes back to 1916. That use of the term hasn't recently evolved. It was here before the concept of PTSD was established (1980). I've never used it in a story specifically associated with PTSD (I don't remember using PTSD at all in a story). I'll try to remember to use it in its general meaning in my next ten stories, though D), just as a general warning to anyone trying to limit the use of the word in writing.

 

[horrorotic]

The verb "triggered" first appeared in 1916, according to Webster's, and it has a definition and use in English as a mechanism setting something off. It has clear meaning available for general use in writing. It doesn't belong to PTSD.

This is a writing site. Let's just stop this limiting nonsense.

Some groups of people like to claim a word, then be offended-or triggered when someone has the audacity to use the word in its original meaning, not THEIRS

 

[KeithD]

Some groups of people like to claim a word, then be offended-or triggered when someone has the audacity to use the word in its original meaning, not THEIRS

A group of people here have done that with BDSM. Not so prominently since someone dropped off the discussion board, though. They claim ownership and control over whether some acts that are actions, whether sanctioned or instructed or not: what can be bondage, for instance, can use a general dictionary term for that action in erotica or not. "Bondage" is a type of action, whether or not it's done to some club's rules.

 

[Ginlover]

I’ve got a character called a Trigger. And my next story to be publish is him in a war setting. I’ve not given warnings but the description says bloody war. I’ve got another half complete story exploring combat stress and PTSD with flashbacks. I’m not sure if I will warn about that at the start as there is a build up and I would hope someone who might find it upsetting would stop reading before the flashback

 

[PennameWombat]

Not sure what you mean as "call out." I include anything that's extreme in the tags. I then consider it the readers' responsibility to have checked them if they know certain words/images can give them the vapors to the extent that they can't just back out and read something else. I think it's unfortunate that the tags aren't given up front, but they aren't, and readers can jolly well figure out where they are and check on them if they have weak constitutions or aren't adult enough to be reading on an erotica story site.

If readers have the 'beta' viewer enabled then the tags are available by clicking on the tag icon at the beginning of the story. I always use that view but not sure how common it is, nor if it'll ever be made the default view.

I generally but don't always include the tags in my preface. If I knew the beta view was the default I'd quit doing that.

As to warnings, I truly don't know the best practice. I try to use tags+category to mostly cover it but I have on rare occasions included a warning for 'violence'. But in one story even with the fact I'd added 'violence and death' and had the story in Erotic Horror, someone felt my characters were a bit too blasé about the fire that had just obviously killed some unknown number of people. Including two people who'd tried to murder a young woman before the burning roof fell on them. Ah well.

I also included in a NonHuman story "This story contains scenes that may be disturbing to some readers." since it depicted a terror attack at Stonehenge on the Summer Solstice. The only comment on that story concerned my depiction of mushy peas one of my MCs loved them, the other, not so much. I did include the 'violence' tag as well.

But I did add a warning in my current Winter Holidays entry. It's 10 Lit pages and I mentioned that there was not much hard core sexual content so if you wanted that go elsewhere. Then the story opened with my female MC leading a children's choir through Christmas songs Lots of erotic feeling and not appropriate for NonErotic, but unlike my Nude Day entry no wall to wall sex. Reception has been quite positive but I have no feedback if my 'warning' was good, bad or indifferent. Maybe it sent people who would've otherwise complained elsewhere (in which case, it worked, I guess.)

 

[SisterJezabel]

I can see people grumbling about 'snow flakes' and 'shouldn't be here' but people with PTSD or psychological problems often need to test their boundaries. We're not here to write prescriptive re-hab stories, but neither should we turn our backs on people who are, say survivors of 9/11 or Afghanistan.

Don't be too quick to dismiss people who might be doing their best to fit in with mainstream - and sex is surely part of that.

I read a chapter of a story last night that dealt with domestic violence. Fortunately, I was in a good headspace but I know there would have been times when I would have read it and fallen into a funk remembering my own DV experiences. FWIW, it was handled beautifully and I am really enjoying the series, but I did wonder if perhaps a TW might be warranted for some readers, especially those who try and escape into the Romance category.

Of course I wrote a story that talked about a character's sexual assault and did not include a TW so it is something I need to consider too.

 

[SisterJezabel]

Considering we live in the time of the hypersensitive, 24/7 offended and people who look to be offended I'd say the warnings are useless, you can't-and shouldn't have to-list every single thing in your story.

I'd be snarky and say "I'm sure there's something here that will offend someone, you have been warned."

It's not about finding offence- it's about bein\g taken back in your psyche to experiences you have tried to deal with. I take it you've never been assaulted in any form that has left scars.

 

[SisterJezabel]

In colloquial use, I take "trigger" to mean anything that causes a strong emotional reaction. In most of the uses I've seen, it refers to things that an individual strongly dislikes and will respond to.

Even in its restricted use with PTSD, the degree of "triggering" is highly variable. It could mean discomfort, or it could mean an uncontrolled fight-or-flight reaction.

I hope my stories trigger arousal in some readers...

 

[Bramblethorn]

The verb "triggered" first appeared in 1916, according to Webster's, and it has a definition and use in English as a mechanism setting something off. It has clear meaning available for general use in writing. It doesn't belong to PTSD.

I'm sure you have enough experience with the English language to be well aware that a word may have a general meaning in one context, while also having a much more specific and technical meaning in another context. The existence of the former doesn't refute the latter.

For example, if somebody asks me "are you Doctor [myname]" at a dinner party, I'd say yes. I have a PhD, that makes me "doctor". I don't stand on the title often, but I've earned it.

But if somebody's having a medical emergency and their friend asks "is there a doctor in the house", I wouldn't put up my hand, because in that context it's obvious that they're using it in the narrower context of "medical doctor". It would be an arsehole move for me to argue about the general definition in that context, even though the use of "doctor" for PhDs long predates the medical "doctor".

Similarly, nobody here is arguing against language like "the recession was triggered by poor economic policy" or even "the author's insecurity was triggered by a critical comment", because it's clear that those are the general usage. But in the context of content and trigger warnings, it causes confusion with the psychiatric term of art, which then makes life harder for actual PTSD patients.

If "making life harder for actual PTSD patients in order to spite people on the Literotica Authors' Hangout" seems like the kind of person you want to be, go right ahead. Otherwise, words like "provoked" or "upset" make good substitutes in that context.

 

[Bramblethorn]

As time-and society-changes so the meanings of words. The internet, specifically social media-has caused 'triggered' to refer to anything that sets someone off.

Language evolves-or devolves-with society.

It does indeed. Change that makes it easier for people to communicate is good; change that makes communication harder is bad.

In this case, we're talking about a change that makes it harder for people to discuss a serious medical condition, while not really making it any easier for anybody else to communicate (since we already had those words like "upset", "provoked", etc. etc.)

Not to sound funny, but come on, what did Gay mean back in prior times.

Depends how far prior you want to go. "Gay" has had sexual connotations for longer than the USA has been a country, though the narrowing of that to mean homosexuality in particular is only documented to around the 1920s. Which still probably makes it older than any of the posters here.

For a long time those sexual meanings coexisted with the more innocent happy/flamboyant meanings. These days the "homosexual" meaning has mostly crowded out the others. But there are still plenty of other ways for somebody to express the feelings that might once have been called "feeling gay". Happy, carefree, exuberant, ... - take your pick.

AFAIK there aren't any good substitutes for the PTSD-related use of "triggered", which is why eroding the meaning of that use is more of a problem.

 

[KeithD]

I'm sure you have enough experience with the English language to be well aware that a word may have a general meaning in one context, while also having a much more specific and technical meaning in another context. The existence of the former doesn't refute the latter.

My response was to what you posted: "Note: the term "trigger" is associated specifically with PTSD."

My comment, which I stand by, is that, no, the term "triggered" is not associated specifically with PTSD. The verb "triggered" has much broader application than to PTSD, no "specifically to PTSD" about it.

The rest of what you posted just takes the thread away into some sort of specific, exclusive lalaland from what the OP meant by "trigger warnings." I have no interest/intention in being dragged into an irrelevant exchange on PTSD.

 

[NotWise]

It does indeed. Change that makes it easier for people to communicate is good; change that makes communication harder is bad.

In this case, we're talking about a change that makes it harder for people to discuss a serious medical condition, while not really making it any easier for anybody else to communicate (since we already had those words like "upset", "provoked", etc. etc.)

Who is responsible for the "bad" change?

According to the online Etymology dictionary, "trigger" as a noun has existed in English since the 1650's, and similar spellings existed prior to that. "Trigger" in the sense of "cause something to happen" has existed since the 1930's. It's use in psychology to mean "to cause an unusual negative emotional response in a person" came about by 1986.

If anyone changed the use of the term, it was the psychology community.

 

[Hypoxia]

I often place my tags and/or subject warnings in my prefatory disclaimers but adult LIT readers can make their own choices. I've not yet received any complaints that my text caused a spazz-out or criminal behavior. Maybe I lack skill for such. Can I place semi-hypnotic phrases up front to drive readers to skip to the end and award me five stars and a fave? That's the sort of behavior I'd like to trigger. Don't blame me for murdered cats.

 

[stickygirl]

Authors deciding arguments by looking at dictionaries is like posters in the GB citing Hitler
/discussion

People who may be psychologically fragile will doubtless use self-care to avoid being "upset" by stories in a particular category: Incest/Taboo for example. Warnings become a good idea if something occurs out of context - casual decapitation in Romance warrants a TW.

 

[KeithD]

Authors deciding arguments by looking at dictionaries is like posters in the GB citing Hitler
/discussion

Rejecting standard writing authorities is the attempt of the underprepared (or those too lazy to bother to put in the work to learn the craft) to level the playing field. It doesn't make them any more prepared to function well as writers, though.

What sort of thread discussion did you think you were contributing with this insulting, amateurish, and lame comment?

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Ultra-Hypersensitive Readers

Considering we live in the time of the hypersensitive, 24/7 offended and people who look to be offended I'd say the warnings are useless, you can't-and shouldn't have to-list every single thing in your story.

I'd be snarky and say "I'm sure there's something here that will offend someone, you have been warned."

The most confusing comments that I ever received on a story were from a few readers who were offended by two of my female characters owning a strip club. Seriously, on an erotic story website?

 

[stickygirl]

Rejecting standard writing authorities is the attempt of the underprepared (or those too lazy to bother to put in the work to learn the craft) to level the playing field. It doesn't make them any more prepared to function well as writers, though.

What sort of thread discussion did you think you were contributing with this insulting, amateurish, and lame comment?

I can see I've triggered you enough today.
Tata

 

[Zeb_Carter]

So, tell me if anyone can, what was the last book(on paper) published that you read that had any kind of disclaimer or warning at the beginning?

I have read all kinds of books(paperbacks mostly) and have never seen a warning about what was going to happen in the story. Now the books I picked up by Anonymous in Dalton Book Seller kind of surprised me when I was younger, with the stuff that was in there and this was print, not electronic like here.

Some of the stuff in there was really sick and was probably meant to shock the reader. But, no warning, no tags, not even a forward about who, what, where, when, and how.

So, even though I received comments about killing off the main characters in the end, over all the reader liked the story. Except for those who nitpick about things they think they read but isn't there.

Now, I haven't even picked up a book in I don't know how many years, do any of the newer publication have disclaimers at the beginning?

 

[Ginlover]

So, tell me if anyone can, what was the last book(on paper) published that you read that had any kind of disclaimer or warning at the beginning?

I have read all kinds of books(paperbacks mostly) and have never seen a warning about what was going to happen in the story. Now the books I picked up by Anonymous in Dalton Book Seller kind of surprised me when I was younger, with the stuff that was in there and this was print, not electronic like here.

Some of the stuff in there was really sick and was probably meant to shock the reader. But, no warning, no tags, not even a forward about who, what, where, when, and how.

So, even though I received comments about killing off the main characters in the end, over all the reader liked the story. Except for those who nitpick about things they think they read but isn't there.

Now, I haven't even picked up a book in I don't know how many years, do any of the newer publication have disclaimers at the beginning?

A book has a blurb on the back which is not limited to a few characters as we have on here.

 

[ericalauren]

I have PTSD. Trigger warnings are necessary. If you do not use trigger warnings, especially as an author, you are trash.

 

[NotWise]

I have PTSD. Trigger warnings are necessary. If you do not use trigger warnings, especially as an author, you are trash.

Look! I have a new identity.

There is no way we could know what your triggers are, so I guess you are bound to suffer.

 

[SimonDoom]

I have PTSD. Trigger warnings are necessary. If you do not use trigger warnings, especially as an author, you are trash.

How about this as a trigger warning:

Assume my story will trigger you and proceed accordingly.

 

[NotWise]

How about this as a trigger warning:

Assume my story will trigger you and proceed accordingly.

Or, "Warning, this story consists of words and depicts events. If you may be triggered by words and events, then you should not read this story."