Trauma is a reaction your brain and body can have to a stressful or tragic event. What triggers a traumatic response can vary a lot for each person, which is one of the things that can make it hard to know if you’re experiencing the effects of trauma. It’s typically associated with physical or sexual assault, violence, or accidents, but can also involve repeated events, like neglect.

Experiencing a stressful event doesn’t always result in trauma. And, experiencing trauma does not always lead to long-lasting effects. Only about 20% of people will develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is a mental health disorder that includes symptoms like avoidance and changes in arousal lasting a month or more. 

It can be tough to recognize and discuss a wound that can’t be seen. You might experience strong emotions unexpectedly, trouble sleeping, or physical sensations like a fast heartbeat, seemingly without warning. But, like any other wound, it needs attention to heal. 

It can be hard to identify the source of your trauma or how it affects you, but trying to understand it is an important step. You may not feel like talking about it right away, and that’s OK.There are other ways to move forward that are right for you.

There are many possible causes of trauma as well as ways to categorize them. Here’s a breakdown of the main types:

• Acute Trauma: This refers to trauma in reaction to a one-time, one-off event—for example: experiencing assault or abuse, getting in a car crash, or unexpectedly losing someone you love.
• Chronic Trauma: This is trauma that develops in response to a dangerous situation that repeats over a longer period of time. This includes things like constant bullying, neglect from a partner or people in your family, or any kind of ongoing abuse.
• Secondary Trauma: This is a reaction to repeatedly witnessing other people’s hardships. It’s a kind of trauma that’s common for first responders, such as firefighters, EMTs, and social workers. 
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE): This refers to traumatic childhood events that continue to affect you later in life. Experiences like the loss of a parent, parental neglect, abuse or family conflict are the most common causes of ACE.

Sometimes we protect ourselves from the feelings associated with trauma by dissociation, feeling detached from reality, or intellectualization, focusing on facts over feelings. Both can often help us in the moment, but in the long run can prevent us from truly coping.

It’s important to notice how trauma is affecting your mind and body, and recognize it has no timeline. You may have feelings long after the event has taken place. Here are some feelings and scenarios that may be related.

Many people’s trauma leads to certain mental health struggles. Learn more about these specific mental health conditions to see if there’s anything to consider for yourself.

Recognizing the effects of past trauma and exploring ways to work on it is one of the greatest and bravest forms of self-love. It can be challenging to find the time and energy to prioritize mental health, but the rewards for doing so are countless. 

In general, focusing on activities that improve your mood and sense of self are great, healthy ways to respond to trauma.

If you believe you’ve experienced or are experiencing trauma, you’ve already taken an important first step by finding this page. There are many resources available for people dealing with trauma from all causes and at all stages—whether you’ve just realized it’s what you’re going through, or whether you’ve been dealing and trying to address it for a while.