What does the word ‘trauma’ mean to you? You may think of the impact that extreme events like war, accidents, or natural disasters can have. Or perhaps you know personally that it’s not just about ‘big’ events — it can also come from experiences such as bullying, medical treatment, relationship difficulties, chronic stress, or sudden loss.
It’s helpful to know that the word trauma comes from the Ancient Greek for “wound.” This wound can be physical or psychological. Trauma isn’t the event itself — it’s the impact that the event has on your nervous system and your sense of safety.
Because of this connection to the nervous system, trauma is deeply personal. Two people may experience the same event but have completely different responses. For one, the impact may be temporary and manageable, while for the other it may feel unbearable and long-lasting.
Trauma as a Survival Response
When something feels threatening, our bodies and minds react automatically to try to protect us. This can look like the well-known trauma responses of fight or flight, together with the lesser-known freeze or fawn. These are natural survival strategies, not signs of weakness.
The problem is that sometimes these protective responses stay switched on even after the danger has passed. That can leave us feeling stuck, exhausted, or disconnected without really knowing why. As Bessel van der Kolk1 describes in his book The Body Keeps the Score2, trauma can remain held in the body long after the event, even if we’re not consciously aware of it.
Trauma vs. Everyday Stress
The word “trauma” is very frequently in everyday conversation. There has been what University of Melbourne psychologists3 have called a “concept creep”4 — a gradual broadening of the term. Instead of being used as a clinical definition, “trauma” or “traumatic” is now often used to describe situations that are stressful, upsetting, or inconvenient.
While stress and challenges are a normal part of life, trauma is different. Stress becomes trauma when an experience overwhelms your ability to cope and leaves a lasting impact on your sense of safety or wellbeing.
– For example: a busy week at work may leave you tired and irritable (stress).
– Being bullied over time, or experiencing a sudden accident, can deeply shake your sense of security and leave your nervous system in a heightened state (trauma).
Everyday stress usually eases once the situation improves, while trauma can continue to affect how you feel, think, and respond long after the event has passed.
PTSD, C-PTSD and Complex Trauma
The terms trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), and complex trauma are often used as if they mean the same thing — but they refer to different, though related, experiences
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after a single traumatic event, such as an accident, assault, or natural disaster.
According to the ICD-11, PTSD involves three core groups of symptoms:
- Re-experiencing the traumatic event (for example, flashbacks, intrusive memories, or nightmares).
- Avoidance of reminders of the trauma.
- A persistent sense of current threat, shown through hypervigilance or an exaggerated startle response.
These symptoms can feel intense and frightening. However, they are the nervous system’s way of staying alert to perceived danger, even when the threat has passed.
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is a related but distinct diagnosis that can arise from complex trauma — that is, trauma that is repeated, prolonged, or involves interpersonal harm.
C-PTSD includes the same three core symptoms of PTSD, but adds three additional groups of symptoms known as Disturbances in Self-Organisation (DSO):
- Affect dysregulation – difficulty managing emotions, feeling numb or easily overwhelmed, or experiencing intense anger or sadness.
- Negative self-concept – deep feelings of shame, guilt, or worthlessness, and beliefs of being “damaged” or “a failure.”
- Relationship difficulties – struggling to trust others, feeling detached, or finding it hard to feel close to people.
Complex trauma describes the type and pattern of traumatic experiences a person has been through. It usually involves multiple or prolonged interpersonal events — such as abuse, neglect, or captivity — where the person feels trapped or unable to escape. These experiences may occur in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, and can have lasting effects on emotional wellbeing, sense of safety, and relationships.
Complex trauma isn’t a diagnosis in itself. Instead, it’s a way of understanding how repeated or long-term trauma can shape someone’s inner experience and coping patterns.
In summary:
– PTSD describes the psychological effects of a single traumatic event.
– C-PTSD describes the psychological effects of complex trauma, where the impact extends beyond threat responses to include difficulties with emotion regulation, self-esteem, and relationships.
– Complex trauma refers to the nature of the traumatic experiences (repeated or ongoing interpersonal harm).
Understanding these distinctions can help reduce self-blame and make sense of what you’re experiencing. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to seek support — therapy can help with any of these experiences by providing a safe, compassionate space to rebuild safety, trust.
Signs Trauma Might Be Showing Up
People often don’t realise that the difficulties they face are linked to trauma. There are many possible signs, some of which may lie dormant for years. You might notice things like:
– Feeling constantly on edge, restless, or irritable
– Struggling to relax or “switch off”
– Avoiding certain situations, places, or conversations
– Numbness, zoning out, or feeling disconnected from yourself
– Sleep issues, including distressing or vivid dreams
– Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks
– Saying “yes” when you want to say “no,” to keep the peace
These are not personality flaws — they are understandable reactions to overwhelming experiences.
Why Understanding Trauma Matters
Recognising that your reactions may be linked to trauma can be a powerful first step toward self-compassion. Instead of blaming yourself for being “too sensitive,” “too angry,” or “too withdrawn,” you can begin to see these patterns as your mind and body’s way of trying to protect you.
Finding Support
Healing from trauma is possible. Counselling provides a safe space to explore these patterns, understand where they come from, and discover new ways of coping.
In upcoming posts, I’ll look more closely at the four main trauma responses — fight, flight, freeze, and fawn — and how they might show up in everyday life.
If you recognise yourself in any of the signs I’ve mentioned, know that you don’t have to face it alone. Therapy can be a supportive place to begin your healing journey.
1. Bessel van der Kolk [@besse https://www.instagram.com/bessel_van/]. (n.d.). IGTV [Instagram profile]. Instagram. Retrieved October 7, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/bessel_van/
2. van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
3. Haslam, N. (2016). Concept creep: Psychology’s expanding concepts of harm and pathology. Psychological Inquiry, 27(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2016.1082418
4. Baes, N., Vylomova, E., Zyphur, M., & Haslam, N. (2023). The semantic inflation of ‘trauma’ in psychology. Psychology of Language and Communication, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.58734/plc-2023-0002
