Defining Trauma and Its Effects

Before we can discuss the effects of trauma, we need to be on the same page about the definition of trauma. 

Trauma is emotional distress that results from experiencing an event or circumstance that a person perceives is emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening to themselves or a loved one. 

This event or experience overwhelms a person’s coping ability and makes it challenging to feel safe. Because people’s perceptions of events vary, what is perceived as traumatic by one person may not be perceived as traumatic by another. 

Examples of potentially traumatic experiences include: 

• Accidents
• Crime
• Natural disasters
• Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
• Physical or emotional neglect
• Experiencing or witnessing violence
• Losing a loved one
• War

People’s reactions to traumatic events can vary widely due to many different factors, but some people can be seriously affected by these experiences. Experiencing trauma can cause long-lasting effects on people’s minds, bodies, souls, actions, relationships, and overall, their lives. 

The pages linked below will provide in-depth explanations of trauma’s potential effects on these areas: 

• Trauma Statistics
• Trauma and Actions
• Trauma and Emotions
• Trauma and Friendships
• Trauma and the Mind
• Trauma and the Body
• Trauma and the Soul
• Trauma and Vocations
• Effects of Trauma by Gender
• Resources to Learn More About the Effects of Trauma

Additionally, there has been much research in recent decades about the effects of traumatic experiences in childhood, also called adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). You can learn more about this area of research here.

• https://www.apa.org/topics/trauma
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/trauma 
• https://www.samhsa.gov/trauma-violence