Trauma is one of the leading causes of human suffering, influencing lives in ways that often go unnoticed or misdiagnosed.
What Is Trauma?
Let’s start with a simple but important question: what exactly is trauma? Most people think of trauma as the event itself—abuse, violence, an accident, or a devastating loss. But trauma isn’t defined by what happens to us, it’s defined by the way it affects us.
Trauma is a Psychological Injury Embedded in our Nervous System
Consider a car accident where someone sustains a concussion. The accident is the event, and the concussion is the injury, with effects that can last long after the incident. Similarly, trauma is a psychological injury embedded in our nervous system, with lasting impacts on both our mind and body, persisting long after the initial incident(s) and can be triggered at anytime.
The effects of trauma can show up in many ways—emotional pain that resurfaces, coping mechanisms developed to protect ourselves, and reactive behavioural patterns that may feel out of line with who we want to be. Trauma also affects our body’s functioning by driving inflammation—leading to disease. Yes, that’s right, trauma doesn’t just live in our minds, but it shows up in our bodies too.
When a Wound Doesn’t Heal Properly—The Reason We Suffer
When a wound doesn’t heal properly, two things can happen. It either stays raw and painful or, more often than not, it forms a thick layer of scar tissue.
A raw wound is an open, constant source of pain. Even the smallest touch can make it hurt, forcing us to stay on guard all the time. We’re always managing the pain, trying to protect it, and in doing so, we limit ourselves. It’s hard to move freely, to act confidently, when we’re always worried about being hurt again.
Now, the scar is better than the open wound. It’s protective in its own way, holding everything together. But there’s a catch—it’s stiff, tight, and doesn’t grow with us. It’s a place of numbness, where flexibility and movement feels restricted. It’s a reminder of the injury that’s never quite healed, or maybe healed incorrectly.
This is what unresolved trauma does to us—whether it’s a raw wound or a scar. It limits our potential, both physically and mentally. Trauma distorts the way we see the world and the people in it. Until we face it, trauma keeps us trapped in the past, preventing us from fully experiencing the present. It forces us to bury our pain, pushing down parts of ourselves that are screaming for attention and care. This creates a fractured sense of self, and until we see it and deal with it, it becomes an obstacle, stopping us from growing.
For many of us, trauma impacts our sense of self-worth, it damages relationships and even takes away from the joy we should experience in life. In childhood, it can disrupt brain development, and throughout our lives, it contributes to all kinds of illnesses. Trauma, in all its forms, is a barrier to fully living and thriving. It’s a foundational issue that affects so many of us, often without us realizing just how deeply it runs.
Big-T and Small-t Trauma
When we talk about trauma, it’s easy to think of the big events that leave deep scars. These are the things that happen to us, that leave us feeling broken. These are the moments that force us to adapt in ways we didn’t choose, using our bodies and minds to cope with pain we shouldn’t have had to endure. This type of trauma, often called Big-T trauma, is more common than many of us realize. This kind of trauma is what we tend to hear about in mainstream discussions—things like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for example. These experiences—abuse, violence, or loss—are the big wounds that leave lasting marks.
Then, there’s the other type of trauma—the one that doesn’t get talked about, but still leaves a deep impact on our lives. Small-t trauma. It’s the quieter, more discreet stuff that shapes us in ways we might not even recognize. Think about being repeatedly bullied, or a parent who, despite their love, doesn’t know how to truly nurture you emotionally. Or what about the times when you were simply overlooked, not seen or heard, by the very people who were supposed to care for you? Small-t trauma doesn’t come from big events but from the lack of emotional support or the everyday neglect of our emotional needs. Trauma is sustained by bad things happening yes, but also by good things not happening—like the failure to attune to a child’s needs or not being emotionally understood, even by well-meaning parents. These quieter wounds can often feel like a sense of disconnection from ourselves, a feeling of not truly belonging or being accepted for who we are.
The truth is, despite decades of research showing how impactful these forms of trauma are, they’ve remained largely invisible to Western medicine. Big-T trauma might be recognized in some ways, but small-t trauma often doesn’t get discussed at all. And yet, these small traumas shape us just as deeply.
The Connection Between Big-T and Small-t Trauma
So we know Big-T and small-t trauma have their differences, the big-T events feeling more extreme and immediately damaging, but they both do have things in common. They’re both tied to mental health struggles and can lead to physical issues as well, from inflammation to stress that disrupts our body’s natural functions. They break our connection with ourselves and with the world around us. Peter Levine, a trauma expert, says that trauma is about losing connection—to ourselves, to our families, and to the world. The loss is gradual, happening over time, and we adapt to it without even noticing. Over time, this lost connection becomes the lens through which we view the world. And, as hard as it is to accept, the way we view ourselves—the strengths and struggles we think define us—are often shaped by the trauma we’ve experienced.
Trauma Will Continue to Be One of the Leading Causes of Human Suffering
So, with trauma being one of the leading causes of human suffering—most of us fall somewhere on the trauma spectrum. We each carry our wounds in our own way, and it’s not about comparing them to others. The key is acknowledging that trauma, no matter how it shows up in our lives, has a lasting impact on who we are and how we experience the world.
Trauma will continue to be one of the leading causes of human suffering until we challenge the norms that overlook the importance of treating potential trauma first. By changing our perspective, creating space for safe and open conversations, and integrating trauma-informed care into Western medicine, we can begin to address the root causes of suffering and pave the way for true healing.