Stress – The differences between trauma and stress are monumental. Although stress can definitely make you feel irritable, tired, confused, unfocused, and anxious, trauma will bring about long-lasting psychological consequences.
Stress comes in different shapes and sizes and, most of the time is manageable. You may experience stress due to chronic illness, parenting, sexual difficulties, relationship problems, or a new job, to mention a few reasons.
Trauma – In the psychotherapy realm, people suffering from traumatic events experience a myriad of strong emotions, which have a very powerful and negative impact on their lives.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), strong emotions can be caused by “recurrent, involuntary and intrusive distressing memories” of any traumatic experience.
People may have nightmares related to a traumatic event, may experience flashbacks of the trauma, and believe the trauma recurs itself on a continuum that can lead to a complete loss of reality. People may also experience intense psychological distress or intense physiological reactions when in situations resembling traumatic events.
The good news is that there are many ways to cope more effectively with those post-traumatic emotions. For example, what if you start thinking that it is not the trauma that is the problem but how you react to it? How would life be different?