A lot of people have the wrong idea about “trauma.” You yourself may be thinking that “trauma” only incudes what are called “Big T” traumas: witnessing or surviving physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, violence, natural disasters, threats of serious injury/death/violence, involvement in war…the list goes on. All Big T Traumas are outside the realm of typical experiences. These experiences are linked to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (though not every person who experiences a Big T trauma will go on to develop PTSD!).

However, there are actually two categories of trauma: Big T and Little t traumas. Little t traumas frequently get overlooked, despite being just as impactful. Little t traumas are usually more specific to a person than a Big T trauma – they’re more personal. Little t traumas include a number of experiences, including conflicts between loved ones, divorce, consistent criticism, bullying, harassment, loss of important relationships, non-life-threatening injuries, and many more. In many cases, Little t traumas are experienced over and over again, until someone “gets used to it.” Little t traumas may or may not cause someone to develop PTSD; though, there is research that says that Little t traumas that occur repeatedly can cause more emotional damage than a single Big T Trauma. There’s also links between Little t traumas and anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.