Resources / PTSD / Trauma: What It Is, How It Hurts, and How We Heal
10 min read
Last updated 5/28/25
Trauma: What It Is, Why It Hurts, How We Heal
By: Kelsey Cottingham, MSW, LMSW
Clinical Reviewer: Jill Donelan, PsyD
Trauma is a word we hear often, but many people aren’t exactly sure what it means or how deeply it can affect a person’s body, mind, and relationships. If you've experienced something distressing or overwhelming and you're struggling to feel like yourself again, you're not alone. In fact, around 70% of people will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime.¹
Understanding what trauma really is and how it shows up in our lives can be the first step toward healing. Whether you're making sense of your own experience or trying to support someone else, learning about trauma can help bring clarity, compassion, and hope.
Defining trauma
At its core, psychological trauma is the lasting emotional impact of an event that felt overwhelming, dangerous, or deeply upsetting—something that shook your sense of safety or control. It’s not just about what happened; it’s about how that experience made someone feel. For one person, a car accident might feel like a frightening but manageable event. For another, the same experience might result in lasting fear, anxiety, or difficulty feeling safe.
Common elements of traumatic experiences often include feelings of:
- Fear or helplessness: You might have felt like you were in danger and couldn’t do anything to stop it—whether in a car accident, a life-threatening medical emergency, or during a volatile argument.
- Shame or humiliation: Trauma can come from moments when you felt deeply judged, exposed, or degraded, like being bullied at school or mocked in front of others.
- Abandonment: This might look like being left alone, physically or emotionally, during a time when you needed care, such as a parent walking out or a partner withdrawing during a crisis.
- Betrayal: You may have been hurt by someone you trusted, like a friend who spread your secret or a caregiver who failed to protect you.
- Powerlessness: This could come from situations where you were overpowered, silenced, or not allowed to make choices for yourself, like enduring physical or sexual abuse, discrimination, or medical trauma.
These emotional responses can occur whether the trauma is a single incident or an ongoing situation. People can experience trauma directly, like through physical harm or assault, or indirectly, such as witnessing violence or hearing traumatic stories in a caregiving or professional role (vicarious trauma).²
Types of trauma
There are several different types of trauma, and each can have a unique impact on a person’s well-being:
- Acute trauma: Results from a single, distressing event (e.g., a natural disaster or accident).
- Chronic trauma: Occurs when a person is exposed to prolonged or repeated traumatic experiences (e.g., domestic violence, ongoing abuse).
- Complex trauma: Involves multiple, varied traumatic or stressful events over time—often starting with adverse experiences in childhood (ACES) and involving caregivers or close relationships.
Other types of trauma include:
- Childhood trauma: Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) during formative years such as neglect, abuse, or caregiver mental illness can significantly affect brain development and long-term health.³
- Generational trauma: The transmission of coping patterns and trauma across generations, often seen in families affected by displacement, war, or systemic oppression.
- Collective trauma: Trauma experienced by groups of people due to large-scale events like natural disasters, pandemics, or political violence.
- Moral injury: The psychological distress that arises from being obligated to engage in actions that violate a person’s moral or ethical code, often reported by veterans or health care workers.
- Racial trauma: Ongoing exposure to race-based stress and discrimination that can lead to traumatic stress responses.
- Vicarious trauma: Trauma experienced by those in caregiving or support roles (e.g., therapists, first responders) who absorb others’ pain through their work.²
Trauma symptoms: Reactions or responses
Trauma symptoms can vary widely from person to person. Some people feel the effects right away, while others may not notice them until much later. There’s no single way to respond—your body and mind are doing their best to adapt. If any of the following feel familiar, know you’re not alone.
Emotional and psychological responses may include:
- Anxiety, fear, or panic
- Numbness or emotional detachment
- Guilt, shame, or self-blame
- Depression or hopelessness
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
- Mood swings or irritability
Physical symptoms might include:
- Hypervigilance (feeling constantly on edge or alert)
- Sleep disturbances or nightmares
- Muscle tension or chronic pain
- Headaches or stomachaches
- Fatigue or low energy
Behavioral signs may include:
- Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
- Social withdrawal
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Substance use
- Risk-taking or self-harming behaviors
Effects of trauma
Over time, trauma may lead to ongoing emotional, psychological, and even physical difficulties, especially if left untreated. These may include:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Characterized by intrusive memories, flashbacks, avoidance, negative changes in mood, and heightened arousal.⁴
- Complex PTSD: Often linked to long-term or repeated trauma and may include emotional dysregulation, difficulties in relationships, and negative self-perception.⁹
- Acute Stress Disorder: Similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, but symptoms occur within the first month following the trauma.
- Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Chronic sadness, hopelessness, or overwhelming worry.
- Substance Use Disorders: Using alcohol or drugs to cope with emotional pain.
- ADHD-like symptoms: Particularly in people with childhood trauma or ACES, such as difficulties with focus and impulse control.³
Trauma can also have negative effects on physical health, contributing to conditions like heart disease, autoimmune disorders, or chronic digestive issues.³ It may affect how you relate to others, how safe you feel in your own body, and how you show up in the world.
To learn more about trauma-related mental health conditions, visit Understanding PTSD: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments That Work.
Healing from trauma: Treatment and support
Healing from trauma doesn’t mean forgetting what happened. It means learning how to live with more ease, connection, and safety in the present. Recovery looks different for everyone, and there’s no timeline or one-size-fits-all approach. What matters most is finding tools and support systems that meet you where you are.
Common treatments for trauma include:
- Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT): Helps children and adolescents reframe unhelpful thoughts related to trauma.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Uses bilateral stimulation to help re-process traumatic memories.⁵
- Cognitive processing therapy (CPT): A structured approach that helps challenge and modify unhelpful beliefs related to trauma.⁶
- Exposure therapy: Gradual exposure to trauma-related memories or situations in a safe environment. ⁷
- Somatic therapies: Focus on body awareness to release stored trauma or improve physical and emotional regulation (e.g., Somatic Experiencing).⁹.
- Psychedelic-assisted therapy: An emerging approach being explored for trauma treatment.⁸
Read more about the groundbreaking advancements of psychedelic-assisted therapy and get answers to your most important questions.
Other helpful tools for recovery include:
- Building a support network of friends, family, or peer groups
- Practicing grounding exercises and self-care routines
- Engaging in creative or expressive outlets like art, journaling, or movement
- Involving trauma-informed schools or workplaces that recognize and accommodate trauma responses
Seeking help: When and where to begin
Recognizing that you’ve been affected by trauma is a powerful first step. Here’s how to begin seeking support:
- Notice the signs. If you’re experiencing persistent distress, avoidance, or physical symptoms related to a traumatic experience, it might be time to seek help.
- Reach out. Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or healthcare provider about what you’re experiencing.
- Find a provider. Search for a mental health professional who specializes in trauma-informed care or specific therapies like EMDR or CBT.
Remember, i’s never too early—or too late—to ask for help. Healing is not about “getting over it,” but finding ways to feel safe, whole, and connected again. For a list of more free resources, visit Free Crisis, Traumatic Event & Trauma Resources for Everyone
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7.
Let us guide you.
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