Everyone has had some negative experiences in the past. As a result, those painful memories can sometimes be triggered and cause fresh discomfort. For someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however, such triggers can induce frighteningly extreme reactions. Put simply, they’ve endured a traumatic event and the trigger makes their brain react as if it is happening again. 

For most people, conversations about inherited characteristics involve things like eye color or height. But there’s a deeper and darker discussion to be had on this topic. Generational trauma is a term used to describe how psychological and emotional tendencies can also be passed down in families. Trauma that occurred very long ago can create circumstances that end up impacting family members several generations later.

Author Joan Didion once remarked that “virtually everyone who has ever experienced grief mentions this phenomenon of waves.” Everyone must, of course, experience and process grief in their own way. There is no one “right” way. But no one fully avoids the sensation of waves. Sure, there are stages of grief but they are not linear.

Trauma is a result. When someone endures or witnesses a horrific event, there is the potential for them to experience trauma. Such events may include neglect, abuse, assault, loss, violence, illness, and so much more. Whether or not we are traumatized depends on several specific factors. What matters most is how we experience the events and what impact it has on us (and our life). 

There is no surprise when someone finds out that childhood trauma often causes mental and emotional issues well into adulthood. The connection appears obvious. But what about childhood trauma’s connection to physical illness?

Everyone goes through grief. It’s a painful yet inevitable part of life. Despite this universality, very few of us are prepared. Our culture doesn’t talk much about grief and we live our lives vulnerable to how much it can change us (see next section). But there’s good news. It’s never too late to put in the work to understand and address your grief.

You have almost certainly heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Thanks to Hollywood and news headlines, we usually associate PTSD with war zones and natural disasters. However, different forms of PTSD exist and they can be caused by a very wide range of events. Take, for example, Post-Traumatic Relationship Syndrome (PTRS).

Trauma experienced as a child does not directly cause chronic pain in adulthood. However, a wide cross-section of studies has identified the connection between the two.

From the outside, it can appear confusing to watch someone stay in an abusive situation. It could be their family, spouse, job, etc. Whatever the specifics, you may wonder “why they stay.” As you probably imagine, it’s a lot more complicated than that. A major component of this dynamic is trauma bonding.

Trauma is common, perhaps more common than anyone imagines. Nearly seven in 10 children experience at least one traumatic event by age 16. As for adults, the numbers are almost as high. Fifty percent of women and 60 percent of men endure at least one trauma ever their adult lifetime.

It’s quite normal to need an adjustment period after a relationship ends. The passage of time along with some healthy support from friends and family might do the job. However, there are instances when a past relationship can weigh you down with toxic baggage. In fact, it can result in a version of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Everyone’s life is filled with potentially traumatic events. Some are obvious. Some are insidious. There is no way to know upfront whether or not an experience will result in trauma.

Any time you endure a terrible experience, it has the potential to result in trauma. Each situation is unique and it can be difficult to fully understand your response. It requires time and expertise to discern a potential diagnosis.

Enduring a traumatic experience can leave long-term scars. Unfortunately, one of those scars could relate to feelings of guilt, shame, and self-blame.

The diagnosis of Complex PTSD or C-PTSD has been widely accepted for a long time. Even so, there is some disagreement as to whether it is fully discrete from PTSD.

At some point, everyone will endure a painful event. These episodes have the potential to elicit an emotional response called “trauma.” In the U.S., about seven in 10 people have experienced a traumatic event.

Not long ago, trauma was a mysterious concept. It was not something discussed in casual conversation. For a wide variety of reasons, trauma is no longer taboo. We each understand more about the topic. From sexual assault to battlefield experiences and beyond — more people comprehend the reality of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

All humans endure terrible events at some point in their lives. If those events cause long-lasting damage, they can be traumatic.

Almost everyone is wounded by terrible events in their life. Those unable to fully process such experiences run the risk of being traumatized. Trauma is what happens when you have not worked out your pain and suffering. This can happen at any age but is most common with children.

Make no mistake, letting go of the past is as important a goal as anyone could ever aim for. We all know what it’s like to feel stuck. Who hasn’t been told it’s time to “move on,”? Yet, we hold onto past betrayals, letdowns, embarrassments, and more.