Do I Have Trauma? Find Out Before it Consumes You

Don’t guess, “Do I have trauma?” Our definitive, go-to guide reveals types many people don’t even know about: Complex PTSD, betrayal, family trauma…

There’s a tendency for people to compare their trauma to others. You learn that your coworker’s cousin was murdered last year. That the daughter of a family friend was sexually assaulted last weekend. That your professor’s child died by suicide a few years ago. That a local police officer survived mortar strikes in Afghanistan. Suddenly, you begin to invalidate your own traumatic experiences, wondering, “do I have trauma?”  

Sound familiar? It’s not an uncommon experience.  Many trauma survivors tend to downplay their experiences, claiming that, “it’s not as bad as….” But, trauma can take many forms. Just because you deem your trauma as less than does not mean that you are any less deserving of support.  

 The body holds countless elusive signs of prior pain. Psychological trauma can take numerous forms and survivors do their best to function in this world even if they might be panicking, screaming, or simply floating in numbness on the inside. 

The American Psychiatric Association defines trauma as being a situation wherein someone experienced a threat to their survival or to the survival of someone around them. Examples include a natural disaster, car accident, exposure to war, unexpected job loss, the homicide or suicide of a loved one, or a physical or sexual assault. While the APA defines what specifically constitutes as “trauma,” there is more and more research emerging on the trauma that occurs after prolonged emotional abuse or neglect, infidelity, job loss, or enduring a chronic illness.  

Acute versus Complex

Many times, trauma is complex. The subtle interweaving of multiple types of loss and rejection shape our cognitive expectations and fear response in ways we may not perceive.  

Acute trauma mainly results from a single distressing event that is extreme enough to threaten a person’s emotional or physical security.

Complex trauma manifests from exposure to multiple traumatic events or experiences. Complex trauma is typically caused by prolonged exposure to harmful situations, often during critical developmental periods in a person’s life. Extreme causes include chronic abuse, neglect, war, or witnessing domestic violence, especially during childhood. These situations create an environment of persistent fear and instability, which can deeply affect emotional and psychological development, leading to long-lasting effects that require specialized treatment and care.  

Whether your trauma falls into the category of “acute” versus “complex” does not make your experiences any less valid. You might wonder, “do I have trauma” if my trauma is only acute? Trauma can take many forms.  

Sometimes the traumatic stress reaction occurs instantly—a “fight or flight” response so to speak. Other times, it can resurface years later when a vein or trigger is activated. Something seemingly insignificant, especially compared to the first traumatic event, such as experiencing immense levels of stress, can cause trauma to resurface. It’s important to remember that PTSD with delayed expression is just as real as other forms of PTSD—it’s not a “lesser” version of trauma. 

Betrayal Trauma

Were you betrayed by a loved one, a partner, a coworker, or a family member who you at one time thought could never let you down? Or perhaps you have been betrayed by systems, ideals, or religion.  

We have a right to safety and security.  

When the people closest to us or the structures we rely on violate this, we can start to question everything. When nothing feels safe, everything is a threat, and it becomes impossible to find our north star or sense of purpose in anything at all.  

This can put your body in a constant “fight or flight” response mode, which is driven by the body’s sympathetic nervous system—an ironic name considering that when we are in “fight or flight” we often feel like our body is being anything BUT sympathetic to us.  

Living in this prolonged state of high stress, where everything feels like a threat, weighs on the body. So, even though this form of trauma is rarely discussed, and might leave you questioning, “do I have trauma,” your experience is equally valid as more commonly discussed forms of trauma.  

Family Trauma /

Toxic Childhood

Our family unit is our innermost tribe.  

They are supposed to be our people, our biggest cheerleaders, those most similar and close to us, our inner” circle. Therefore, these people become inextricably intertwined with who we are. In essence, family is part of how we view ourselves.  

Consequently, it is no surprise that family trauma in the form of abuse, neglect, constant criticism, contingent resources, or extreme dysfunction can have such a spider web of impacts across our neural circuits.  

However, childhood and intergenerational trauma can be among the least talked about. It’s easier to talk about being attacked by foreign enemy fire or a random automobile. Things closer to home, that can be a bit harder. After all, deep down, we may wonder, will people judge us if they think our family was that toxic? Will they think that I have those traits too?  

And if other people like siblings who lived in the same household indicate that they didn’t think things were that bad, you may get stuck in a loop asking yourself, “Do I really have trauma?” 

Workplace Trauma

Complex trauma can also emerge from environments that appear polished and successful on the surface but are deeply stressful underneath. For example, a child growing up in a family of high-achieving doctors might face relentless pressure to excel and fear failure, leading to feelings of inadequacy and chronic stress.  

Similarly, in an elite workplace where everyone is focused on climbing the corporate ladder, the constant competition and lack of trust can create a toxic atmosphere. When the culture demands that you can never let your guard down – you start to feel like you can never be yourself.  

The pressure leads to a near-constant state of worry, paranoia, hypervigilance, and a sense of being on edge — hallmark PTSD symptoms. In these “posh” environments, the trauma isn’t from overt abuse but from the intense, ongoing pressure and emotional isolation, which can be just as damaging to one’s mental health. 

In American culture, our value is largely linked with our career and our “contributions” to society (namely, work!). So, is it any surprise that when you are traumatized at work, whether through something unexpected or a targeted act, it goes to your core? Have you been betrayed at work? Are you wondering, do I have trauma from the workplace? 

Workplace trauma is a very real thing.  

Research estimates that roughly 7-9 percent of workers who experience workplace trauma will develop PTSD. And, workplace trauma is not an isolated event—it doesn’t just impact the people who work jobs society deems as dangerous or having a heightened risk of trauma exposure such as police officers, healthcare workers, or social workers.  

The workplace is full of “isms” (think racism, sexism, ableism, etc.). All these systemic values and workplace conditions like power imbalances, microaggressions, and cutthroat environments pose a risk for workplace trauma.   

Witness of Violence,Assault

or Unethical Behavior

Trauma does not have to be experienced first-hand. Sometimes, we see or experience something so sudden, bad, violating, or unexpected that it haunts us. Even though we may understand intellectually that the threat has passed, our body’s hypervigilance won’t let us move on. If you find yourself asking, “do I have trauma,” from secondary exposure to a traumatic experience, this could very well be a possibility.  

Trauma’s Impact

Whatever the original cause or current manifestation, the impact of trauma on your life can be pervasive. While trauma symptoms are among the most debilitating, they are also very treatable.  

In fact, if you have sought treatment before, but have not seen results, it could be because your practitioner was not using evidenced-based trauma approaches. We now know that treating trauma effectively must go beyond talk therapy to root out the causal mechanism and de-activate negative trigger loops.  

The good news is there are many robust evidence-based treatments for trauma. Unfortunately, many psychologists still don’t have training in these more rigorous approaches. At SENS, we are all doctor level therapists and have specialized training and experience specifically in trauma therapies.  

In addition to extended training in trauma therapy, our psychologists have worked with many traumatized populations such as African war refugees, children who have been removed from the home due to abuse/neglect, veterans, and people dealing with traumatic changes in their families. We also specialize in infidelity, relationships, toxic childhoods, complex trauma, and workplace trauma.  

Still wondering, “do I have trauma?” Trust me when I say that we can help. Ready to start the healing  process?