Trauma

Nazma covers the city for a national daily, and she does not write about the robbery. It was eight years ago, on a rainy night in Mohakhali, and nobody was badly hurt. She files to deadline, she laughs in the newsroom, she has a good life now. She simply cannot sit with her back to a door, sleeps badly when her husband travels, and feels her chest tighten whenever a motorbike slows beside her.

An illustration drawn from common experience. The person is invented; the pattern is not.

Understanding trauma

Trauma here means the lasting effect of an event: what an overwhelming experience taught the mind and body about danger. Violence, accidents, abuse, disasters, sudden loss and medical emergencies can all leave a mark. Some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder; others carry quieter effects, such as constant alertness, avoidance, numbness, shame, or difficulty trusting, for years.

How common it is

About 70% of people worldwide experience at least one potentially traumatic event in their lives, WHO reports. Most recover with time and support. A minority develop PTSD, about 5.6% of those exposed, and others live with some symptoms that still deserve care.

Signs worth noticing

• Memories that intrude, or feel as if they are happening now
• Avoiding places, people, conversations or feelings linked to the past
• Being constantly on guard, jumpy, or unable to relax
• Feeling numb, ashamed or cut off from others

How care helps

Talking about trauma should never be forced. Good care starts with safety and trust, and moves at a pace the person sets. WHO’s guidelines recommend trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and EMDR for post-traumatic stress, both of which help a memory become something that happened, rather than something that keeps happening.

What getting better can look like

The change might come at a press club dinner, the evening Nazma notices she is sitting with her back to the door, and has been for half an hour.

Common questions about trauma

Can trauma from many years ago still affect me today?

Yes. An overwhelming experience can teach the mind and body to stay on guard long after the danger has passed, through intrusive memories, avoidance, jumpiness, numbness or shame. It is never too late to treat these effects, whether the event happened last month or decades ago.

Does everyone who goes through a traumatic event get PTSD?

No. About 70% of people worldwide experience at least one potentially traumatic event, WHO reports, and most recover with time and support. About 5.6% of those exposed develop post-traumatic stress disorder. WHO’s guidelines recommend trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and EMDR for it.

When to see a psychiatrist

If the past keeps breaking into your sleep, work or relationships, an assessment can help, whether the event was last month or decades ago.

Care here is personal: built around your history, your health and what you want to change, and reviewed with you as it goes.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Sources

• World Health Organization, “Post-traumatic stress disorder” fact sheet, September 2026
• Koenen et al., Psychological Medicine, 2017 (PMID 28385165)
• World Health Organization, Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress, 2013