The word ‘’trauma’’ derives from the ancient Greek word ‘’titrate’’ (τῐτρώσκω • (titrṓskō)) which means ‘hurting’. Psychological trauma usually occurs when an individual comes face to face with stressful situations and they do not have the appropriate skills to manage their emotions or the situation. These situations are very vivid to our conscious minds but trauma can manifest itself within the subconscious which may in turn affect different aspects on an individual’s life.

The most common and renown forms of trauma are the following:

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

PTSD became known during the world wars where soldiers shown to be mentally traumatized be the continuous bombings and killings they endure. Primarily it was named ‘shell shock’ because it was believed that the trauma was caused by the continuous sounds of shots and bombardment. People that suffer from PTSD, experience sleep disturbances, night terrors, stress and fear. In some cases, the symptoms of PTSD are so vivid that a pharmaceutical approach accompanied by psychological support is essential. PTSD can continue to affect individuals in their adult life about something they experience in their childhood, it can affect adults and it can be caused by all sorts of different types of abuse (e.g. physical, oral, sexual). Additionally, PTSD can be caused by other stressful experiences such as traffic accidents, robberies and in general experiences that make an individual to strongly consider death.

Avoidance:

Even though avoidance can be considered something non-harmful, it can cause major effects to the psychosocial well-being of an individual. Avoidance can cause an individual to avoid other people, places or activities that may remind them their traumatic experiences for a prolong period of time. Avoidance can be helpful for these individuals in order to avoid the stress and pain that comes when facing one’s fears but in the long term can cause serious concerns such as being unable to cope with stressful situation which is something that is healthy for an individual to be able to have. Avoidance is a common behavior found in individuals that have issues within their relationships (family, romantic or friendly)

Depression:

Depression usually occurs in people who have suffered from some sort of a mental trauma, recently or in the distant past which usually coexists with some form of cognitive impairment. When a mental trauma is prolonged and not considered or amended by an individual, it may affect their chemistry of the brain. Depression can lead to chemical changes in the brain and negative emotions; such as despair, which significantly affects a person's general functionality.

Memory loss:

It has been scientifically supported that trauma can negatively impact memory. For this reason, due to the intensity of negative emotions, many abuse cases are forgotten by the victims for their own well-being. In case where psychological trauma is very painful, it can cause irreversible damage to an individual’s brain which may cause memory loss, for example disruptive amnesia.

Natural Diseases:

Sometimes, the experienced shock and stress derived from trauma may affect the body and cause changes in the body's chemical balance which may result in physical problems such as high blood pressure, stomach problems, headaches, etc.

Stress:

The severity of the trauma can sometimes cause anxiety disorders with common symptoms such as tachycardia, tremor, and fear accompanied by generalized anxiety. In some cases some people may experience panic attacks which are usually difficult to manage.

Self-harm:

Self-destructive behaviors are one of the most dangerous consequences of psychological trauma. This form of behavior may include behaviors ranging from self-harm to addictive scratching. On one level individuals form the belief that they are the ones to blame for their victimization and leads them to believe that they deserve punishment whereas on another level, self-harm can be an externalization of stress.

Most of the time, people who come seeking psychotherapy for their trauma, wish to relief their emotions and symptoms caused by trauma such as anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, depression, physical discomfort and phobias because they believe that their symptoms are the main concern and fail to realize the underlying causes of their symptomatology. During therapy though, it is usually clear that the symptomatology is just the tip of the iceberg and the underlying roots of the trauma gradually emerges in the surface through self-awareness processes. Trauma usually requires a long time of internal work and it takes time for the person to feel safe to work with experiences that are extremely painful for him/her. In any case, the intervention of a mental health professional is necessary especially when it concerns sensitive age groups such as children.