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Trauma

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Types of Trauma (Whole-Body View)

Trauma is often thought of as psychological, but it can affect the whole body.

Different types of trauma can impact multiple systems and may contribute to overlapping symptoms.

These types are not separate — they often interact, overlap, and build over time.

Disclaimer: This website provides educational information only. It is not medical advice and should not replace consultation with qualified health professionals.Everyone’s health journey is different, and care decisions should always be made with appropriate medical guidance

1. Psychological / Emotional Trauma

Stressful or unsafe experiences affecting emotional and nervous system regulation.

Examples:

  • Abuse, neglect, loss, conflict
  • Chronic stress environments
  • PTSD or complex PTSD

Common symptoms:

  • Anxiety, panic, hypervigilance
  • Intrusive thoughts or memories
  • Emotional overwhelm or shutdown
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Dissociation

Link to

Health Direct https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

9718, 6676..08.23.24

2. Physical Trauma (Injury-Based)

Direct injury to the body.

Examples:

  • Accidents, surgery
  • Brain injury
  • Nerve injury (e.g. small fibre neuropathy & Peripheral Neuropathy)

Common symptoms:

  • Pain (localised or widespread)
  • Reduced function or mobility
  • Numbness, tingling, burning
  • Headaches or cognitive changes

3. Biological / Internal Trauma

Internal stress that overwhelms the body’s systems.

Examples:

  • Severe infections
  • Chronic inflammation
  • Immune dysregulation
  • Post-viral conditions (e.g. ME/CFS)

Common symptoms:

  • Persistent fatigue
  • Post-exertional malaise
  • Brain fog
  • Pain
  • Autonomic symptoms

9714; 6682

4. Toxic / Environmental Trauma

Exposure to substances the body struggles to process, may lead to toxic injury / environmental illness trauma.

Examples:

  • Chemicals, mould, pollutants
  • Medication reactions
  • Chronic low-level exposure

Common symptoms:

  • Headaches, dizziness
  • Airway or skin sensitivity
  • Irritability and mood concerns
  • Cognitive issues (brain fog)
  • Increased sensitivity to environments. (toxic injury model is just one explanation for this)
  • Increased anxiety and hypervigilence (the environmental illness trap)

9718EI

Environmental_Illness_Regulation_Sensitivity_Lived Experience BookletDownload

5. Developmental Trauma / Early Developmental Stress

Occurs during early life when the developing system experiences stress, disruption, or inconsistent regulation support.

This may include:

  • Relational disruption (inconsistent caregiving, attachment challenges)
  • Medical or early life stress (e.g. prematurity, NICU care, illness)
  • Sensory or environmental overload during critical development periods

Can affect:

  • Nervous system development
  • Emotional regulation
  • Sensory processing
  • Stress response patterns
  • Sense of safety and connection

6. Chronic / Cumulative Trauma

Ongoing or repeated stress over time.

Examples:

  • Caregiver strain
  • Chronic illness
  • Long-term life stress

Common symptoms:

  • Fatigue and burnout
  • Reduced capacity
  • Increased sensitivity
  • Emotional overwhelm or numbness

Learn more about Family Load, capacity and balance

Key Takeaway

👉 Trauma can enter the body through multiple pathways
👉 These pathways often overlap and interact
👉 The result can be whole-body dysregulation and symptom clustering

ALPIMS Connection

These trauma types can impact the autonomic nervous system and one or more other ALPIMS domains

Autonomic • Laxity • Pain • Immune • Mood • Sensory

depending on individual vulnerability and type of trauma

How the Domains may be impacted

A — Autonomic

  • Fight/flight, shutdown, freeze
  • POTS-like symptoms
  • Panic, hypervigilance

L — Laxity (Structural / connective / physical stability)

  • Muscle guarding or collapse
  • Joint instability under stress
  • Physical tension patterns

P — Pain

  • Central sensitisation
  • Chronic pain syndromes
  • Heightened pain response

I — Immune

  • Inflammation, MCAS-type responses
  • Increased reactivity to triggers
  • Sickness behaviour

M — Mood

  • Anxiety, depression, emotional flooding
  • Burnout and withdrawal
  • Shame, fear, overwhelm

S — Sensory

  • Sensory overload or shutdown
  • Sound/light/chemical sensitivity
  • Reduced tolerance to input