Though all of the triggers listed in Tyson’s masterlist are indeed triggers, they trigger Tyson’s anxiety/OCD/PTSD to varying degrees: depending on the moment and his mental state at the time.
- Being called Poppet
It’s not a very common pet name and one that Sebastian used a lot when talking to women, so Tyson tends to find this one very jarring.
It will always trigger his anxiety, often to the point where he’ll end up fighting a panic attack later in the day, but when he’s in a rocky mental place it can trigger his PTSD as well.
- Being called Kitten
Sebastian called Tyson his ‘kitten’. This one will always trigger his anxiety, often to the point where he’ll end up fighting a panic attack later in the day.
However, as he’s become desensitises to it as a mocking name from employees of the web, this one doesn’t hit as hard and rarely directly triggers his PTSD.
- Being called Kiddo
This is in a similar place to Kitten, though coming from Sebastian and from Tyson’s father. This one will trigger his anxiety, but never his PTSD.
Occasionally, this one will set off his OCD and have him performing some of the rare ticks associated with his OCD. This stems from watching to tidy up and look perfect to appease his father’s impossible standards.
- Being around alcohol
This one is from The Colonel’s alcohol fuel abuse and he was Tyson’s father used to drink, especially before disciplining Tyson with his belt.
By and large, Tyson has this one under control, but being around it will always affect him to some extent and tasting it by surprise can instantly trigger a panic attack on the wrong day.
- People touching the dent in his torso.
It’s a hole in his torso caused by years of abuse that triggers instant pain when struck.
Tyson can cope with people touching it - very gently - when he trusts them and when they telegraph every motion to him, but even when his own hands brush it by mistake, he can end up fighting the gut reaction to vomit.
Actually striking the dent can cause anything from panic attacks to flashbacks.
- Barns
This one is only when Tyson comes across a barn by surprise whilst out on a walk, once he knows its there or was expecting it, Tyson is fine. When he can’t brace for it ahead of time, Tyson goes into a terrible mental place around barns.
When The Colonel abandoned Tyson to die/for the army to find, they had been sheltering in a barn and in a desperate attempt to escape the army - who he assumed would shoot him and leave him for dead - Tyson attempted to hang himself, before the rope snapped.
- Raised, angry voices
When Tyson is in a bad mental place, this is the usual trigger. The straw that breaks the camels back and leads to him having a flashback or panic attack.
- Hands being raised quickly, close to him
This only applies when it’s within his personal space and coming unexpectedly, not during a mission for the web, for example, when Tyson is always braced for attack.
Usually, this one would lead to a panic attack. One he can contain, suppress and keep his cool until he’s behind closed doors, but he’ll eventually break.
- Men with grey hair
This one usually sets off his anxiety.
He’ll be walking through London completely fine, a good mental space day where his social anxiety and general anxiety are tucked away for the time being, then he’ll catch a head of grey hair in the corner of his eye and every fragment of fear he’s ignored will wash of him like a bucket of ice.
- Men with similar voices to Sebastian
When he’s in a bad mental place, this is usually what leads to fragments of memories with Tyson’s PTSD rather than a full flashback. A sentence that he once heard from Sebastian coming from somewhere he can’t see, his familiar footsteps behind Tyson, a glimpse of his face in a crowd, things like that.
- Thunder and Lightening
This one is variable. Maybe they set off his anxiety or maybe they trigger a full flashback. His reaction is visceral.
As mentioned in this headcanon:
It’s not simply that Tyson tenses up around thunder and lightning. His entire body locks upand he will stay frozen for several seconds that feel like hours, heart hammering, before coming back to himself.
- Cold water on his head
This doesn’t apply to rain, but rather a sudden wave of water getting dumped over Tyson’s head. This will be a panic attack. He will hyperventilate. His hands will be shaking for almost an hour afterwards.
This comes from an incident in Afghanistan that led to Tyson always wearing loose collars. During that time, along with having his air restricted by things around his throat, Tyson was waterboarded several times.