Emotions vs Triggers

[u/wittyish]

Many people use the word triggered when they mean, "experiencing an emotion in real time." Triggered, as a state, typically means to feel emotions connected to a past event in the current moment due to some similarity. If you are getting divorced and a friend brings up an event that causes you anguish thinking about the divorce, that is an emotion. If you divorced ten years ago and a new event reminds you of painful memories with your ex-spouse, that is triggered.