Comprehensive Trauma Glossary

A

ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)

Potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years), including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Research shows that higher ACE scores correlate with increased risk of physical and mental health issues in adulthood.

Example: A child who experiences parental divorce, domestic violence, and emotional neglect would have an ACE score of 3.

Attachment Styles

Patterns of relating to others formed in early childhood that affect relationships throughout life. The main styles are secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized, with trauma often disrupting healthy attachment formation.

Example: Someone with an avoidant attachment style may struggle to get close to others, pushing people away when intimacy develops.

Avoidance

A trauma response where individuals consciously or unconsciously stay away from people, places, or situations that remind them of their trauma. While protective initially, chronic avoidance can maintain PTSD symptoms and limit life satisfaction.

Example: A car accident survivor who refuses to drive or even ride in cars, limiting their ability to work or socialize.

B

Betrayal Trauma

Trauma caused by someone the victim depends on for survival or well-being, breaking fundamental trust. Often involves abuse by parents, partners, or institutions, leading to profound difficulties with trust and relationships.

Example: A child abused by a parent, or an adult whose spouse cheats after years of marriage.

Boundaries

Guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to identify for themselves what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around them. Trauma survivors often struggle with boundaries due to childhood violations or lack of modeling.

Example: Saying "no" to overtime work when you're exhausted, or refusing to discuss sensitive topics with disrespectful family members.

Broken Trust Fragmentation

Rob Greene's concept of trauma fragmentation specifically resulting from betrayal, where parts of self split off to protect against future trust violations. Creates hypervigilant fragments that punish innocent people for predecessors' mistakes.

Example: Someone whose business partner stole from them now micromanages every new partner, assuming they'll eventually be betrayed too.

C

Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

A severe form of PTSD resulting from prolonged or repeated trauma, often occurring in childhood. In addition to PTSD symptoms, C-PTSD involves difficulties with emotional regulation, relationships, self-concept, and dissociation.

Example: A survivor of childhood abuse who experiences flashbacks, emotional numbness, chronic relationship difficulties, and feelings of worthlessness.

Chronic Trauma

Long-term or repeated exposure to traumatic events that accumulate over time. Can include ongoing abuse, war zone exposure, or living in dangerous environments, often leading to C-PTSD.

Example: A child growing up in a violent household, or someone living in a war zone for years.

Codependency

A behavioral pattern where one person enables another's addiction, poor mental health, or irresponsibility while sacrificing their own needs. Often rooted in childhood trauma and attachment disruptions.

Example: A partner who constantly makes excuses for their spouse's substance abuse while ignoring their own declining health.

Coping Mechanisms

Strategies and behaviors people use to deal with stressful situations and traumatic memories. Can be adaptive (healthy) like grounding techniques, or maladaptive (unhealthy) like substance abuse.

Example: Healthy coping includes exercise or therapy; unhealthy coping includes drinking to numb emotions.

Co-regulation

The process by which one person helps another regulate their emotional state through presence and interaction. Essential for trauma recovery, as trauma disrupts the ability to self-regulate emotions.

Example: A therapist staying calm while a client describes trauma, helping the client stay regulated enough to continue.

Cumulative Trauma

The buildup of multiple traumatic experiences over time that compound their effects. Each new trauma can reactivate previous ones, creating layers of emotional and psychological impact.

Example: Someone who experiences childhood abuse, then a car accident, then workplace bullying over several years.

D

Defensive Rage

Anger that serves as a protective mechanism to prevent further harm or vulnerability. Often masks underlying fear and pain, developed as a survival strategy in threatening environments.

Example: Someone who reacts with disproportionate anger to minor slights, actually defending against deeper fears of rejection.

Depersonalization

A dissociative experience where one feels detached from themselves, as if observing their life from outside. Can include feeling robotic, emotionally numb, or disconnected from one's body and actions.

Example: During a traumatic event, someone feels like they're watching themselves in a movie rather than experiencing it directly.

Developmental Trauma

Trauma occurring during critical developmental periods that impacts personality formation and functioning. Often chronic and interpersonal, affecting attachment, emotional regulation, and self-concept.

Example: A child who experiences ongoing emotional neglect, never learning healthy emotional regulation or relationship patterns.

Derealization

A dissociative experience where the external world feels unreal, dreamlike, or distorted. Objects may seem blurry, time may feel slowed or speeded up, and surroundings may feel artificial.

Example: Someone in a traumatic situation feels like the room is a movie set and people are actors, not real.

Dissociation

A mental process where consciousness disconnects from thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity. A protective mechanism during overwhelming trauma that can become problematic when used chronically.

Example: Someone who can't remember parts of a traumatic event, or feels emotionally detached during stressful situations.

E

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

A therapy that helps process traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation while recalling distressing events. Uses eye movements or other bilateral stimulation to help the brain integrate traumatic memories.

Example: A therapist guides a client to move their eyes side-to-side while recalling a traumatic memory, reducing its emotional intensity.

Emotional Dysregulation

Difficulty managing emotional responses, leading to intense, prolonged, or inappropriate emotional reactions. Common in trauma survivors due to disrupted nervous system development from chronic stress.

Example: Someone who cries uncontrollably over minor frustrations or becomes enraged by small annoyances.

Emotional Flooding

An overwhelming emotional response where feelings become so intense they cloud judgment and functioning. Often triggered by trauma reminders, flooding can feel like drowning in emotions with no way out.

Example: Seeing a car similar to one involved in an accident, suddenly being unable to think or speak clearly due to panic.

Emotional Regulation

The ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in healthy, appropriate ways. Involves recognizing, understanding, and modulating emotional responses rather than being overwhelmed by them.

Example: Feeling angry but choosing to express it calmly rather than exploding or suppressing it completely.

Emotional Shutdown

A dissociative response where emotions become completely inaccessible or numb. A protective mechanism during overwhelming trauma that can become a default response to stress.

Example: Someone receiving bad news feels absolutely nothing - no sadness, anger, or even surprise.

Exposure Therapy

A therapeutic approach that gradually exposes people to trauma-related memories and situations in a safe context. Helps reduce avoidance and fear responses by teaching the brain that trauma reminders are not actually dangerous.

Example: A combat veteran gradually viewing war movies, then visiting a military base, eventually reducing trauma triggers.

F

Fight Response

An automatic survival reaction to threat involving aggression, confrontation, or combat. One of the four primary trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn), preparing the body to physically defend against danger.

Example: Someone who becomes aggressively defensive when they feel criticized or threatened.

Flight Response

An automatic survival reaction to threat involving escape, avoidance, or withdrawal. Activates when the brain perceives danger and seeks immediate exit from the threatening situation.

Example: Someone who immediately leaves conversations when conflict arises, or quits jobs when faced with criticism.

Flashbacks

Intense, vivid re-experiences of traumatic events that feel like they're happening in the present moment. Can involve sensory experiences, emotions, and physical sensations from the original trauma.

Example: A combat veteran suddenly hearing explosions and smelling gunpowder while sitting in a quiet office.

Fawn Response

An automatic survival reaction to threat involving people-pleasing, appeasement, or compliance to avoid conflict or harm. Often develops in childhood where asserting needs led to punishment or neglect.

Example: Someone who immediately agrees with everything their boss says, even when it harms their own interests.

Fragmentation

Rob Greene's concept of trauma causing the psyche to split into distinct parts or fragments, each holding different aspects of the traumatic experience. Different from dissociation in that fragments can have distinct personalities, memories, and behaviors.

Example: A trauma survivor who has a "professional fragment" that functions well at work, and a "traumatized fragment" that emerges at home.

Freeze Response

An automatic survival reaction to threat involving immobilization, paralysis, or "playing dead." Occurs when fighting or fleeing seems impossible, often accompanied by dissociation and numbing.

Example: Someone who can't move or speak during an abusive confrontation, feeling completely stuck.

G

Grounding

Techniques that use the five senses to reconnect with the present moment during dissociation, flashbacks, or overwhelming emotions. Helps trauma survivors stay in their bodies and current reality rather than being lost in traumatic memories.

Example: Naming 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste.

H

Healing Timeline

The non-linear, often cyclical process of trauma recovery that varies greatly between individuals. Progress is rarely straight-line, with setbacks and breakthroughs occurring throughout the journey.

Example: Someone making great progress for months, then experiencing a setback that feels like starting over, but actually builds resilience.

Historical Trauma

Cumulative emotional and psychological wounding across generations, stemming from massive group trauma. Affects descendants of those who experienced events like genocide, slavery, or forced displacement.

Example: Indigenous communities experiencing disproportionate PTSD rates due to generations of colonization and cultural genocide.

Hyper-association

Rob Greene's concept of trauma fragments over-connecting current experiences to past trauma, causing disproportionate reactions to similar but different situations. The brain's pattern-matching goes into overdrive, seeing threats where none exist.

Example: Someone whose childhood was controlled by an abusive parent becomes enraged when their new partner asks to help with cooking.

Hyper-association Patterns

Rob Greene's framework describing how trauma fragments create predictable, recurring patterns of over-reaction to similar-but-different situations. These patterns often become the person's "normal" way of responding to stress.

Example: Someone who experienced betrayal in business now assumes every new business partner will eventually cheat them, acting accordingly.

Hypervigilance

An enhanced state of sensory sensitivity to detect threats, characterized by constant scanning of the environment and heightened startle response. The nervous system remains stuck in high-alert mode even when danger has passed.

Example: Someone who can't relax in public spaces, constantly watching everyone and jumping at sudden noises.

I

Identity Disturbance

Markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self. Common in complex trauma survivors who lack a coherent sense of who they are due to chronic invalidation or abuse during developmental years.

Example: Someone who drastically changes their career, values, and personality based on who they're dating at the time.

IFS (Internal Family Systems)

A therapy model that views the psyche as containing different "parts" or subpersonalities, each with valid perspectives and roles. Helps people understand and heal internal conflicts by fostering compassionate leadership from the core Self.

Example: Working with an "inner critic" part to understand its protective function, then helping it relax its harsh approach.

Inner Child

The part of an adult's psyche that retains the emotions, memories, and experiences from childhood. Healing the inner child involves reparenting this wounded part with the compassion and safety it never received.

Example: An adult who suddenly feels like a scared, helpless child when criticized, reacting from that wounded place.

Integration

The process of bringing together separated or fragmented aspects of self into a cohesive whole. In trauma recovery, integration involves accepting, understanding, and incorporating trauma memories and fragmented parts into one's identity and life story.

Example: Someone who previously had a "work self" and "trauma self" begins to feel like one integrated person across all contexts.

Integration Healing

Rob Greene's approach to trauma recovery that focuses on integrating fragmented parts rather than eliminating them. Recognizes each fragment's purpose and helps them work together under compassionate self-leadership.

Example: Helping a "protector" fragment understand the trauma is over, then integrating its strengths in healthy ways.

Intergenerational Trauma

Trauma passed down through generations via biological, psychological, social, and cultural mechanisms. Can occur through parenting patterns, epigenetic changes, family stories, and cultural transmission.

Example: Grandchildren of Holocaust survivors experiencing anxiety and hypervigilance despite never directly experiencing the trauma.

Intrusive Thoughts

Unwanted, distressing thoughts or images that suddenly enter consciousness against one's will. Common in PTSD, these thoughts often replay aspects of traumatic events or create fears of future harm.

Example: Suddenly having vivid images of a car accident while driving, even years after the event occurred.

Irritability

A heightened state of frustration and anger response to minor annoyances or stressors. Common PTSD symptom reflecting nervous system dysregulation and constant state of threat readiness.

Example: Someone who snaps at their partner for asking a simple question, or becomes enraged by small inconveniences.

M

Memory Fragment

A disconnected piece of a traumatic memory that exists separately from conscious recollection. These fragments can surface as flashbacks, nightmares, or emotional responses to triggers.

Example: Someone suddenly experiencing intense fear at the smell of bleach, not realizing it connects to a forgotten childhood trauma.

Moral Injury

Psychological harm resulting from actions, or the failure to act, that violate one's moral code. Common in military contexts but also occurs in medical, caregiving, and other high-stakes professions.

Example: A soldier who followed orders that resulted in civilian casualties, struggling with guilt and shame years later.

Mood Swings

Rapid or dramatic shifts in emotional state that seem disproportionate to triggers. Common in trauma survivors due to dysregulated nervous systems and unprocessed emotional content.

Example: Someone feeling fine one moment, then suddenly deeply depressed or enraged the next, often without clear cause.

N

Narrative Therapy

A therapeutic approach that helps people separate themselves from their problems and rewrite their life stories in more empowering ways. Focuses on the stories we tell ourselves about our experiences.

Example: Helping someone shift from "I am broken" to "I am someone who has survived difficult experiences and is learning to thrive."

Nervous System Regulation

The ability of the autonomic nervous system to maintain balance between activation (sympathetic) and relaxation (parasympathetic) states. Trauma dysregulates this system, keeping it stuck in threat-response mode.

Example: Someone learning to use breathing exercises to calm their panic response instead of remaining in heightened arousal.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. This capacity underlies trauma recovery, allowing the brain to heal and develop new, healthier patterns.

Example: Therapy helping create new neural pathways that override trauma responses, gradually making healthy reactions more automatic.

Numbing

A dissociative defense mechanism where emotions, physical sensations, or thoughts become blunted or inaccessible. Protects against overwhelming feelings but also prevents experiencing joy, connection, and other positive emotions.

Example: Someone who feels nothing when receiving good news or bad news, experiencing life as if through a thick fog.

Nightmares

Distressing dreams that cause fear, anxiety, or distress and often awaken the sleeper. In PTSD, nightmares frequently replay traumatic events or symbolically represent trauma themes.

Example: A combat veteran dreaming of being back in combat, waking up sweating and with a racing heart.

P

Panic Attacks

Sudden episodes of intense fear that trigger severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Can include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and feelings of impending doom.

Example: Someone in a grocery store suddenly feeling unable to breathe, heart racing, convinced they're dying or losing control.

Parts Integration

Rob Greene's process of helping fragmented parts work together harmoniously under self-leadership. Unlike elimination approaches, integration values each fragment's purpose while transforming its role.

Example: Helping a "protector" fragment shift from hyper-vigilance to healthy boundary-setting while keeping its protective nature.

Parts Work

Therapeutic approaches that work with different aspects or "parts" of the psyche. Recognizes that trauma can split the self into distinct parts, each with unique memories, emotions, and behaviors.

Example: Dialoguing with an "inner critic" part to understand its fears and helping it develop more compassionate ways to offer support.

People-Pleasing

A pattern of behavior focused on keeping others happy and avoiding conflict at one's own expense. Often rooted in childhood trauma where asserting needs led to punishment, neglect, or abandonment.

Example: Someone who says "yes" to every request even when overwhelmed, fearing disapproval if they set boundaries.

Perfectionism

A defense mechanism where individuals set impossibly high standards for themselves to avoid criticism or rejection. Often develops in childhood where love and approval were conditional on performance.

Example: Someone who spends hours perfecting a simple email, fearing any mistake will lead to judgment or rejection.

Polyvagal Theory

Stephen Porges's theory explaining how the vagus nerve regulates social engagement, threat response, and nervous system states. Provides framework for understanding trauma responses and pathways to healing through safety and connection.

Example: Understanding why certain sounds or tones of voice feel threatening while others create instant safety and calm.

Procrastination

Avoidance behavior that delays important tasks, often rooted in fear of failure, perfectionism, or overwhelming trauma responses. Can be a self-sabotaging pattern that maintains feelings of inadequacy.

Example: Someone putting off job applications because they fear rejection, then confirming their belief that they're not good enough.

Protection Fragment

Rob Greene's concept of trauma fragments that develop specifically to protect against further harm. While well-intentioned, these fragments often use outdated protection strategies that now create problems.

Example: A fragment that developed to protect against childhood emotional abuse now prevents intimacy in adult relationships.

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Example: A car accident survivor who can't drive, has nightmares about the crash, and jumps at car horns years later.

R

Recovery

The process of reducing trauma symptoms and improving quality of life through healing, integration, and developing new coping skills. Recovery is not about forgetting trauma but integrating it into a larger, meaningful life story.

Example: Someone who once avoided all social situations now enjoys gatherings while having tools to manage occasional triggers.

Reparenting

The process of giving oneself the love, protection, guidance, and nurturing that wasn't received in childhood. Involves learning to be the parent to yourself that you needed but never had.

Example: An adult who never received comfort as a child learning to soothe themselves when upset with kind words and care.

Resilience

The capacity to bounce back from adversity, trauma, or stress. Not about being unaffected by trauma, but about having the resources and skills to recover and adapt following difficult experiences.

Example: Despite experiencing abuse, someone develops healthy relationships and finds meaning helping other survivors.

Rob Greene's Concepts

Unique trauma framework developed by Rob Greene focusing on fragmentation, hyper-association, and integration healing. Emphasizes understanding trauma fragments as protective parts that can be integrated rather than eliminated.

Example: Using hyper-association patterns to understand why someone overreacts to minor triggers that vaguely resemble past trauma.

S

Safe Space

Physical, emotional, or mental environments where trauma survivors feel secure, accepted, and free from threat. Essential for trauma recovery, as the nervous system needs safety to process and heal from traumatic experiences.

Example: A therapist's office with soft lighting, comfortable seating, and a practitioner who maintains calm presence.

Self-Care

Intentional actions to care for one's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. For trauma survivors, self-care is not selfish but essential for healing and managing trauma symptoms.

Example: Setting boundaries to protect emotional energy, getting adequate sleep, or seeking therapy when overwhelmed.

Self-Compassion

The practice of treating oneself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance, especially when suffering or failing. Particularly healing for trauma survivors who often internalize harsh self-criticism.

Example: After making a mistake, responding with "It's okay to be human, I'm still learning" instead of harsh self-criticism.

Self-Leadership

The core self's ability to lead and harmonize internal parts with wisdom, compassion, and confidence. In IFS and fragmentation work, self-leadership is the goal for integrating traumatized parts.

Example: When different internal parts want different things, the core Self makes decisions that honor all needs while staying true to values.

Self-Sabotage

Behaviors or thought patterns that create problems and interfere with long-term goals. Often rooted in trauma beliefs about unworthiness or fear of success changing familiar dynamics.

Example: Someone who consistently ruins promising relationships because deep down they believe they don't deserve happiness.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

A body-focused therapy that addresses how trauma is stored in the body and nervous system. Combines physical interventions with traditional talk therapy to resolve traumatic stress.

Example: Using movement and bodily awareness to release trauma held in muscle tension that talk therapy alone couldn't access.

Setbacks

Temporary returns to trauma symptoms or difficult emotional states during the healing process. Normal and expected part of recovery, not failures but opportunities for deeper healing and learning.

Example: Someone doing well for months suddenly experiencing intense anxiety after encountering an unexpected trauma reminder.

Shadow Work

The process of exploring and integrating rejected, suppressed, or unconscious aspects of oneself. In trauma recovery, involves facing disowned parts and emotions to become whole and authentic.

Example: Someone who always appears "perfect" exploring their anger, jealousy, or other emotions they've learned to suppress.

Single Incident Trauma

Trauma resulting from one specific event rather than prolonged or repeated experiences. While still serious, often has different treatment implications than complex or developmental trauma.

Example: PTSD from a single car accident, natural disaster, or assault without prior trauma history.

Sleep Disturbances

Disruptions in sleep patterns common in trauma survivors, including insomnia, nightmares, restless sleep, or hypervigilance during sleep. Result from nervous system dysregulation and trauma's impact on the brain's sleep centers.

Example: Someone who stays awake all night fearing danger, or who wakes frequently from nightmares of past trauma.

Somatic Experiencing

Peter Levine's body-focused therapy that helps release traumatic shock from the body. Uses gentle awareness of bodily sensations to complete frozen trauma responses and restore nervous system balance.

Example: Noticing bodily tension during therapy and allowing it to tremble or release, completing the body's interrupted stress response.

Somatic Therapy

Body-based therapeutic approaches that recognize trauma's impact on the body and nervous system. Uses movement, sensation awareness, and physical interventions alongside traditional talk therapy.

Example: Using breathing exercises, movement, or touch to help the body process trauma that words alone cannot reach.

Structural Dissociation

A theory explaining how extreme trauma causes personality to divide into different parts or dissociative states. Describes how traumatized individuals develop distinct "apparently normal" and "emotional" parts of personality.

Example: Someone who appears completely functional at work but falls apart emotionally at home, feeling like two different people.

Support System

Network of people, resources, and services that provide emotional, practical, and informational support during recovery. Critical for trauma healing as connection and support counteract trauma's isolating effects.

Example: A combination of therapist, supportive friends, family members, support groups, and online communities that help during difficult times.

Sustainable Healing

Healing approaches and lifestyle changes that can be maintained long-term without burnout or relapse. Focuses on gradual integration rather than quick fixes, building lasting resilience and well-being.

Example: Developing daily self-care practices, ongoing therapy, and support networks that continue supporting recovery indefinitely.

T

TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

A specialized form of CBT designed specifically for trauma survivors. Combines cognitive restructuring with trauma exposure and coping skills to help process traumatic memories.

Example: A therapist helping a child abuse survivor create a trauma narrative while learning relaxation and cognitive skills.

Triggers

People, places, situations, or sensations that remind trauma survivors of their traumatic experiences, causing intense emotional or physical reactions. Can be obvious or extremely subtle connections.

Example: A combat veteran experiencing panic at fireworks displays, or an abuse survivor flinching at a raised voice.

Trauma

A deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope, causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes their sense of self and their ability to feel a full range of emotions and experiences.

Example: Experiencing or witnessing violence, abuse, accidents, war, or any event that threatens life, safety, or integrity.

Trauma Bond

A strong emotional attachment between an abuser and victim, created through recurring cycles of abuse followed by intermittent reward or kindness. Victims feel loyal to and protective of their abusers.

Example: Someone staying in an abusive relationship because they believe their partner's occasional kindness shows their "true" self.

Trauma Fragment

Rob Greene's concept of a split-off part of the psyche that holds specific traumatic memories, emotions, or defense mechanisms. Each fragment serves a protective purpose but may use outdated strategies.

Example: An "angry protector" fragment that developed to defend against childhood abuse but now overreacts to minor conflicts.

Trauma Fragment Types

Rob Greene's classification system for different types of trauma fragments based on their protective function. Includes protector fragments, child fragments, avoidance fragments, and others, each with specific characteristics.

Example: Identifying someone's "hypervigilant protector" fragment versus their "wounded child" fragment to work with each appropriately.

Transgenerational Patterns

Behaviors, beliefs, and trauma responses passed down through generations via family dynamics, parenting styles, and learned behaviors. Can perpetuate trauma cycles across family lines.

Example: A parent who experienced emotional neglect unconsciously repeating similar emotional distance with their own children.

Trust Issues

Difficulty trusting others due to past betrayals, abuse, or abandonment. Trauma survivors often expect betrayal or harm even in safe situations, affecting relationships and intimacy.

Example: Someone constantly checking their partner's phone for evidence of cheating, even without any reason to suspect dishonesty.

V

Vagus Nerve

The longest cranial nerve that plays a crucial role in regulating the parasympathetic nervous system, social engagement, and stress responses. Central to polyvagal theory and trauma recovery approaches.

Example: Deep breathing stimulating the vagus nerve to activate the body's relaxation response and reduce anxiety.

Vicarious Trauma

Trauma symptoms developed through exposure to other people's trauma stories or experiences. Common among therapists, first responders, healthcare workers, and others in helping professions.

Example: A therapist developing trauma symptoms after hearing many clients' stories of abuse and violence.

W

Withdrawal

A trauma response involving pulling away from relationships, activities, and social situations. Can be a form of avoidance, emotional shutdown, or protection against further hurt or overwhelm.

Example: Someone who used to enjoy social activities now isolates at home, avoiding friends and family after experiencing trauma.

Window of Tolerance

The optimal zone of arousal where a person can effectively process information and manage emotions. Trauma narrows this window, causing people to easily become overwhelmed (hyperarousal) or shut down (hypoarousal).

Example: Someone with a narrow window of tolerance panics in traffic (hyperarousal) or zones out completely during meetings (hypoarousal).

🎉 Glossary Complete!

All 101 trauma and PTSD terms defined with examples and cross-references.

This comprehensive glossary serves as a vital resource for trauma survivors, therapists, and anyone seeking to understand trauma-related terminology.

Last updated: January 16, 2025

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