Trauma

Sometimes trauma is obvious. People who have survived assault, natural disasters, and death of loved ones generally realize they are in a state of crisis. Sometimes, trauma is more subtle, like a thousand paper cuts, instead of one deep wound. Traumatic stress is caused by locking traumatic memories in the brain, leading to associations with these bad memories. Sometimes traumatic events cause us to believe negative, untrue statements about ourselves. For example, a person who has been physically attacked may come to believe they are not safe in the world. While a person who grew up with over critical, or emotionally abusive parents may come to believe that they are not good enough. Both of these examples are types of trauma.