Trauma and PTSD

Understanding Trauma and PTSD

Trauma is not a one-size-fits-all experience. It affects everyone differently and can show up in various forms. Broadly, we talk about three types of trauma: acute, chronic, and complex.

• Acute trauma involves a single, sudden event — for example, a car accident or a violent incident.

• Chronic trauma stems from repeated or prolonged exposure to distressing experiences, such as ongoing bullying, childhood neglect, or being in an abusive relationship.

• Complex trauma occurs when someone is exposed to multiple traumatic events over a long period, often beginning in early life.

In this post, I’ll focus on acute (or "simple") trauma.

How Trauma Affects Us

Human beings are complex, and so is our response to trauma. How we process a traumatic experience is shaped by many factors — our beliefs, our past experiences, the support we receive, and even how people treated us during or after the event.

For instance, if you were involved in a road traffic accident, the emotional aftermath can be vastly different depending on how others responded. Were people kind and supportive, or dismissive and unhelpful? That context matters.

What Happens in the Brain After Trauma?

When we experience something deeply threatening — like a serious accident or assault — the brain goes into survival mode. It rapidly stores information about the event in vivid detail. Why? Because it wants us to learn from the experience and avoid similar danger in the future.

To illustrate: try to recall what you had for breakfast last Thursday. Unless something unusual happened, you probably don’t remember much. But if I asked you about a traumatic experience, you might recall the smells, sights, sounds, feelings — even the smallest details. Trauma memories tend to be intense and sensory-rich.

However, trauma can also interfere with memory. Some people find they can't remember key aspects of what happened, especially the parts that feel most important. This can be incredibly frustrating and distressing — but it’s also a common part of how trauma impacts the brain.

Symptoms of Trauma and PTSD

Many people experience intrusive symptoms after trauma. These are sudden, unwanted memories that surface in your mind, often triggered by reminders of the event. They can also show up as nightmares or vivid flashbacks.

You might also begin to avoid people, places, or situations that remind you of the trauma — for example, avoiding driving after a car crash, or staying in after dark if you were attacked at night. This avoidance is your brain’s attempt to protect you from further harm.

Other common symptoms include:

• Low mood or emotional numbness

• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed

• Increased irritability or anger

• Changes in belief systems, such as feeling the world is unsafe or that danger is always around the corner

• Hypervigilance, or being constantly on edge

• Sleep problems and difficulty concentrating

What Helps?

The good news is that for many people, these symptoms begin to ease over time. Within six months, there is often noticeable improvement, and by about one year, things can look and feel much better.

Here are some strategies that can help in the healing process:

• Stick to your routines as much as possible. Structure and familiarity can be stabilizing.

• Challenge “what if” thinking. Remind yourself that the danger has passed — you are safe now.

• Tell the story of the trauma, especially when intrusive memories arise. Repeating the narrative, including how you survived, helps the brain process and integrate what happened.

• Revisit the place where the trauma happened. This might seem counterintuitive, but returning to the scene can often be healing — seeing it as it is now, rather than through the lens of trauma.

• Keep doing the things you used to enjoy. Even if they don’t feel pleasurable at first, engaging in them can slowly bring back a sense of normalcy and joy.

Recovery from trauma is possible. Everyone’s path looks different, but with the right support and understanding, your brain and body can begin to let go of the constant state of alarm.