Understanding Emotional Trauma vs. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Introduction:
Most of us experience some sort of trauma in our daily lives. Trauma does not only mean a car accident, war, or witnessing a natural calamity like an earthquake. It goes beyond this, anything that shakes a person’s sense of safety, stability, or identity. It may be the result of growing up in a home where feelings were dismissed, being bullied by seniors in high school, losing a loved one suddenly, living in a constant high stress environment, witnessing domestic abuse regularly. Our brain doesn’t stay silent. It responds to this trauma in many ways. We may experience flashbacks of the traumatic episodes, nightmares, avoidance, irritability, difficulty sleeping or concentration. These reactions often leave people confused or ashamed, but guess what? They are the natural coping mechanisms to process the overwhelming experiences. When these symptoms persist and begin to interfere with daily life activities, it may evolve into something deeper called as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a feeling that grows with the trauma. The unresolved trauma may lead to constant distress in the life. It may stay longer unless treated. The good news is, not everyone develops PTSD after a traumatic episode. Because everyone’s brain is wired differently, what may be traumatic to one person does not necessarily have to be traumatic for another person. And there are several other important factors that determine the development of PTSD!!! For instance, biological vulnerability, past experiences, social support and coping abilities (World Health Organization, 2024). Someone who has been raised up in a conflicted region, mere a sound of firecracker can refresh the memory of gunshots. Someone who has survived a major earthquake, may panic at slightest tremor. These reactions do not imply the weakness of a person rather it suggests that their body vividly remembers what the mind has worked hard to forget (it’s a sacred memory, maybe).
Understanding Emotional trauma and PTSD, what’s the difference!
Emotional trauma is a response showed by our body in response to distressing situations or experience. It may be caused by following:
Abuse in any form.
War or conflict
Natural calamity (earthquake)
Loss of a loved one
Chronic stress, betrayal, neglect.
What it feels like:
Intense fear or sadness
Irritability or feeling numb.
Severe mood swings.
Lack of trust in people.
Sleeplessness
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the other hand can be defined as the mental health condition that may develop after experiencing an emotional trauma. The symptoms typically begin within 3 months following a traumatic event but sometimes they take time to develop. For a person to be diagnosed with PTSD, he/she must have symptoms for longer than a month, and the severity of symptoms should be strong enough to disrupt daily life. Moreover, the symptoms should not be related to medication, substance use, or other illness.
Why do some people with emotional trauma develop PTSD and some do not!
The impact an emotional trauma can have, does not only depend upon the traumatic event itself but also on the individuals’ perceptions, psychological defense mechanisms, and whether the support system is timely and sufficient (Wang et al., 2023). The relationship between emotional trauma and PTSD is complex. Not all individuals who face emotional trauma develop PTSD, although emotional trauma is a prerequisite for the diagnosis of PTSD. Recent estimates suggest that about 90% of the people in United States are exposed to at least one traumatic event during their life time and, many experience more than one events in their life time. Certain risk factors can make some individuals more likely to experience PTSD following a traumatic event while others do not. For instance, being a female increases the chances for development of PTSD, similarly, age of exposure to traumatic event, family history of psychiatric disorders, personality factors, to name a few (Voges & Romney, 2003).
Healing – the path forward:
Even with these risk factors, it’s crucial to have this understanding that developing PTSD is neither a sign of failure nor weakness. It is just that body was trying its best to protect itself from the overwhelming emotional stimuli. And the best part is that with proper support and treatment brain is capable of healing and rewiring. As per the guidelines of American Psychological Association, the treatment of PTSD involves Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as the first line of treatment. Eye movement desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), Medications like SSRIs can be given as second line of treatment (American Psychological Association, 2025). It’s important to remember that acknowledging your pain and reaching out for help is not a sign of helplessness rather an act of courage.
Read Gently: recovery is always possible with proper care, support and timely treatment.
References:
American Psychological Association. (2025). APA clinical practice guideline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
Voges, M. A., & Romney, D. M. (2003). Risk and resiliency factors in posttraumatic stress disorder. Annals of General Hospital Psychiatry, 2(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2832-2-4
Wang, S. K., Feng, M., Fang, Y., Lv, L., Sun, G. L., Yang, S. L., Guo, P., Cheng, S. F., Qian, M. C., & Chen, H. X. (2023). Psychological trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma-related depression: A mini-review. World Journal of Psychiatry, 13(6), 331–339. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v13.i6.331
World Health Organization. (2024, May 27). Post-traumatic stress disorder [Fact sheet]. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/post-traumatic-stress-disorder
Yehuda, R., McFarlane, A. C., & Shalev, A. Y. (1998). Predicting the development of posttraumatic stress disorder from the acute response to a traumatic event. Biological Psychiatry, 44(12), 1305–1313. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(98)00276-5
Written By: Tazkia Zainab