From Big T to little t: What is Trauma?

“Do you think what you dealt with was traumatic?”

A lot of times when I’m working with clients, they’re surprised when I ask them: “Do you think what you dealt with was traumatic?” Bullying, the loss of a pet, financial insecurity, going to court… These probably aren’t examples that come to mind when you conceptualize trauma, but these are in fact very valid and very real examples of traumatic experiences for some. I say “for some” because what is traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for another - it all comes back to how our mind and body experience and process things, and if something about them gets them “trapped” in our system.

An example I like to use with clients is that you and a friend are crossing the road, and when you’re midway across a car zooms through the intersection and just misses hitting you. For you, you shrug it off, maybe swear at the car, and continue on your day. But your friend? For them, this experience sticks with them - they have nightmares about it, they avoid crossing the road, maybe they even experience anxiety attacks when near fast cars. This is because for them, this experience is trapped in their brain. It’s traumatic.

There are a lot of complexities to addressing trauma and how the brain and body retain memories or experiences as “traumatic,” and this isn’t something we’re going to be exploring today. Instead we are focusing on the fact that a LOT of things can be traumatic, and that Big T traumas are just as worth of support as little t traumas.

So what do I mean by Big T and little t?

Big T trauma is probably what you traditionally think of when you think about trauma. This can be things like war, sexual abuse or violence, witnessing a murder, experiencing a natural disaster or catastrophic event. These are experience that tend to lead to symptoms that fall under a PTSD diagnosis.

Little t trauma are things like those I mentioned above - medical challenges, relocation, legal issues or situations, not having childhood needs met, financial stress… Basically situations where we feel shame or uncertainty, unexpected life changes, distressing events and experiences that can be difficult or upsetting but where our life or body might not be directly put at immediate risk.

I like to explain these concepts to clients because a lot of times they come to me asking “Why can’t I just shake this off?” This is from clients who have experienced both Big T or little t traumas. I let them know no matter what kind of trauma they’ve experienced, their pain and reactions are valid, and that no matter what it is we can work through it together. And sometimes it isn’t until we are able to label it as trauma that they’re able to conceptualize and start to process their experiences.

About the Author

Katherine Hall, MSW RSW, is a Registered Social Worker at the Growth and Wellness Therapy Centre focused on trauma and suicidality.