Psychological trauma is a type of distress that occurs as a result of a disturbing, frightening, and often life-threatening event. A traumatic event involves a single experience, or an enduring or repeating event or events, that completely overwhelms our ability to cope. It may be even more challenging to integrate the thoughts and emotions caused by the experience.

This sense of being overwhelmed can be delayed by weeks, years, even decades. This is because as we try to continue our life "normally," sometimes trying our best to act like the event never happened, the sense of impending anxiety and stress can build over time. 

Typical causes of psychological trauma are violence; sexual, physical, and/or emotional abuse; the threat of any of these types of abuse; or the witnessing of any of these kinds of abuse. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and mass violence, such as genocide and war, can also cause psychological trauma.

Trauma can be caused by a variety of events, but there are commonalities. There is frequently a violation of familiar beliefs and norms; what is culturally is considered to be a human right in the community and/or nationality. The event likely causes a state of confusion and/or a state of extreme insecurity. This also occurs when people or institutions that we rely on for survival are inconsistent, absent, or they betray us in an unexpected way. 

When trauma leads to PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, there are many thoughts and behaviors that cause a significant amount of distress in many aspects of our lives. The body's response to the distress has even been shown to cause physical changes to our brain chemistry.