Trauma is any event that emotionally overwhelms a person, creates a feeling of emotional, physical, mental or spiritual threat, and that in turn generates a Fight, Flight, or Freeze response. Many people believe, based on old or misinformation, that a “trauma” can only be something "big" like an accident or natural disaster. Research has shown us this is completely untrue. Our bodies generate a traumatic response any time it feels threatened or unsafe.
A person can be traumatized by witnessing an event, secondary exposure to an event, experiencing an event, and more.
Some examples you might not think of:
school entry
bullying
thunderstorms
choking
unfamiliar places
Neglect
attachment difficulties
near-miss experiences
verbal abuse
spiritual abuse
Religious trauma
Then, if a person is not able to recover from that event naturally and restore equilibrium, post-traumatic stress begins and escalates.