According to the APA (American Psychological Association), trauma is the emotional response of a person to an adversely negative event. Altered or extreme emotions is one of the most common ways in which trauma gets manifested.

Different people have different responses to trauma. While trauma often becomes so severe that people find great difficulty dealing with normal life, many people can overcome the stress and cope with it and continue to live happily. Most traumatic responses depend on the causes of trauma. Some of the common physical and psychological causes of trauma have been listed below.

Surgery or illness
Often people experience trauma as a result of a major surgery or a serious illness. Individuals who undergo major surgeries in their childhood, often show signs of trauma even when they grow up.

Accidents
Often road accidents, a significant fall, high-impact head injuries, sports injury, house fire or any other type of accidents can cause physical trauma as well as feelings of threatened safety and security.

Intense and constant bullying
Continued bullying by one or a group of people over time may become a traumatic experience for a child or even an adult. The bullies may range from teammates, classmates, siblings, and more.

Separation from or loss of loved ones
Often the death of a loved one can be the cause of trauma. Similarly, when a child is separated from the loved ones as a result of divorce, prison sentence, military deployment, and the like, children often struggle with prolonged trauma.

Natural disasters
A severe tornado, hurricane, earthquake, forest fire, flood, etc may affect a person to the extent that it may leave life-altering changes.

Abuse
Any emotional, physical or sexual abuse can instill traumatic experiences in a person. Emotional abuse can be a cause of trauma when a parent or any other adult constantly humiliates or insults a child. An individual who is often subjected to pushing, grabbing, slapping, or thrashing often shows symptoms of trauma including fear, anxiety, extreme irritability, agitation, increased aggression, and the like. Child sex abuse, rape, and the like are some of the causes of trauma that may have long-lasting impact on an individual. Substance abuse may also become a cause of trauma.

Neglect
In cases when a child has to endure neglect in the form of not being well-fed or well clothed or cared for, he/she may show signs of trauma that can continue to hamper the child’s growth.