Big T trauma often has its origin in life threatening events such as combat, crimes like rape, kidnapping or assault, and natural disasters such as tornadoes, earthquakes or floods.  Children may experience big T trauma as a result of repeated exposure to the disruptions of family dysfunction which threaten their sense of survival or security.  Children may also be affected when exposed to experiences such as sexual abuse, physical or emotional abuse, or abandonment.  These events may lead to intense fear, extreme feelings of helplessness, loss of control, and an inability to cope with normal life expectations.

The symptoms of PTSD take forms of behaviour that seem quite inconsistent, such as attraction and avoidance.  The individual may relive experiences through flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks or obsessive thoughts, while on the other hand avoiding the experiences through social isolation, emotional numbing or substance abuse.  Frequently the symptoms involve denial in order to minimize the impact of the experience on day to day functioning.  Those experiencing trauma frequently have physiological reactions such as insomnia, hyper vigilance (fearful alert, watching, waiting) and a tendency to startle reactions resulting from reminders in the form of sound, smell, touch or some visual experience such as watching a movie.

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