Traumatic events can include natural disasters, violence, assault, abuse, terror attacks, mass shootings, vehicle crashes, and other accidents.
Fear during and after danger is a natural part of the body’s fight-or-flight response, which helps a person avoid or respond to threats. An experience does not have to fit someone else’s expectations to matter. Context influences how events are perceived and processed, so two people can respond differently to situations that appear similar from the outside.
