Who of us has not, under that definition, suffered trauma?
A recent episode of "West Wing" rang big bells for me. A character had been shot and after the incident, his behavior began to change. Bouts of anger and "flashbacks" were triggered by Christmas music, which the character subconsciously translated into sirens, thereby re-living his crisis!
His actually re-living the shooting, not merely "remembering" was a symptom of Post Traumatic Syndrome. Evidently, there is a major difference in the effects of "remembering" and "re-living" the past. A bitter taste of "adrinelin" in his mouth was another symptom reflecting his body's reaction to "crisis" in "flashback".
For me, the information offered in the drama was very enlightening. I now understand the behavior of many.
There are probably many degrees of "trauma". Crisis in our lives is common these days.
Death, divorce, child abuse are most severe...but what about unemployment or financial set-backs?
Some of us go from one crisis to another, never quite understanding the results of crisis events. We're in a downward tailspin, on the job and in our romantic life..over-spending, over-loving, over-acting to everything in our lives.
Its interesting to watch for symptoms in others. Your spouse, children or friends may exhibit behavior patterns resulting from trauma or crisis from the far distant past.