Going through very stressful, frightening or distressing events is sometimes called trauma. Traumatic events can happen at any age and can cause long-lasting harm. Everyone has a different reaction to trauma, so you might notice any effects quickly, or a long time afterwards.
Certain jobs might be exposed to trauma like our emergency services because of the situations they will be responding to whilst at work. If you've been affected by trauma, it's important to remember that you survived the experience, and distressing emotions are a normal, common reaction.
Going through further trauma can also cause you to start being affected by past experiences, or make existing problems worse. It’s ok to ask for help at any time – including if you're not sure if you've experienced trauma.
Other people can't know how you feel about your own experiences or if they were traumatic for you. You might have similar experiences to someone else, but be affected differently.