The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.”(Source) In everyday terms, trauma is what happens when an experience overwhelms your ability to cope and leaves a lasting impact on how you feel, think, and relate to the world.

Traumatic experiences can be:

• Single-incident events – such as a serious car accident, assault, natural disaster, or sudden loss.
• Chronic or repeated experiences – such as ongoing domestic violence, childhood abuse or neglect, community violence, or long-term bullying.
• Complex trauma – repeated, often interpersonal trauma (especially in childhood) that affects a person’s sense of safety, identity, and relationships.(Source)

Immediately after a traumatic event, people often experience shock, denial, or intense distress. Over time, unresolved trauma can lead to unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and physical symptoms like headaches, nausea, or chronic pain.(Source) Without support, these symptoms can make daily life feel overwhelming and unmanageable.

Trauma does not affect everyone in the same way. Two people can live through a similar event, and one may develop significant trauma symptoms while the other does not. What matters most is not the specific event, but how your mind and body experience and remember it.