Quiz: How much do you know about trauma?

Trauma can happen to anybody at any age and at any stage of their life. People can experience trauma for different reasons and can be affected by it in different ways.

We all respond differently to traumatic experiences and what is considered to be traumatic is individual to each person. Trauma can occur any time a person experiences a frightening or distressing event that they do not have the ability to cope with. Many different types of experience have the potential to cause trauma.

We all respond differently to traumatic experiences and what is considered to be traumatic is individual to each person. Trauma can occur any time a person experiences a frightening or distressing event that they do not have the ability to cope with. Many different types of experience have the potential to cause trauma.

Many people will experience physical or emotional reactions following a traumatic event. These experiences can be mild or more severe, brief or more long-lasting. No two people respond to trauma in exactly the same way, and there are many signs and symptoms that can be related to experiencing trauma. While the experiences mentioned above can be symptoms of trauma they can also be caused by other mental health conditions or be part of everyday experience and not related to a mental health condition.

PTSD is a mental health condition that can be caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. Not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD. Some people who experience trauma will recover quickly and not experience severe or ongoing symptoms. You can also experience anxiety, grief, or stress following a trauma without developing PTSD.

A trauma response is a reaction that someone may have when faced with threatening or abusive situations. Sometimes, people learn these trauma responses as a means of survival in childhood and they can show up in healthy or unhealthy ways. Learning to recognise your trauma responses can help you to respond in healthier ways when you’re faced with difficult situations. You can learn more about common trauma responses by reading our article on trauma (link to article)

While some people who experience trauma do not experience many negative effects and recover quickly, anybody who has experienced a traumatic event can develop PTSD. Developing PTSD is not a sign of weakness, it is a normal response to living through a situation that made you fear for your life or your safety.

Experiencing trauma during childhood can have long term impacts on a person’s mental and physical well being throughout their lifetime. The more experiences of trauma a person has in their early life, the chances of them experiencing mental health and physical health issues greatly increase. Even though people can not always remember abuse that they may have experienced as a child, it can still significantly impact their life.

There are many factors which make it more likely that you will develop PTSD following a trauma. Even though these factors increase your risk of PTSD, this still does not mean that you are guaranteed to develop it. Talking to somebody about what you’re going through and finding the right help and support can reduce the impact that trauma has on your life.

Experiencing trauma does not mean that it will shape the rest of your life. Trauma can be managed so that experiences from the past, don't define the future. Some people will develop symptoms that resolve after a few weeks, while others will have more long-term effects. If you are experiencing mental health difficulty due to trauma, speaking to someone about it can help. Processing traumatic experiences can be difficult, but there are professionals who can help you work through past experiences and give you advice on healing strategies and medication options that may be right for you.