Trauma is any negative experience that happens in a state of relative helplessness. People respond differently to traumas because someones emotional response to a situation depends on the level of helplessness they felt in the moment. There is also a distinction between little “t” traumas (events that do not involve violence or disaster but can create significant stress such as relationship loss or bullying) and big “T” traumas (events that are overtly traumatic such as a loss of a loved one, abuse, war, or natural disaster).
