What is a Traumatic Event?

An event is usually considered traumatic if a person has experienced or witnessed actual, or threatened, death or serious injury.  Traumatic events range from common incidents to large-scale disasters and include:

• Transport disasters such as road or rail accidents
• Violence in the home or on the street
• House fires
• Natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods
• Combat experiences for both military personnel and civilians
• Terrorist attacks
• Rape and sexual assault

Other more 'typical' life events can also be so overwhelming for some people that they are experienced as traumatic incidents. These may include:

• Job loss or redundancy
• The end of a long-term relationship or divorce
• Miscarriage
• The death of a loved one 

An experience can generally be described as traumatic when a person's normal ability to cope has been completely overwhelmed by a terrible event.