Common causes

What can cause it?

While many people will experience illness or negative treatment experiences, having a difficult medical experience doesn’t automatically mean someone will develop medical trauma. As previously stated on the PTSD and trauma page, trauma is about the impact of an experience, not how serious it is. It also doesn’t have to be one intense event and can instead be from several overwhelming experiences. Challenges around chronic illness and medical trauma typically arise from experiences such as:

Repeated procedures, surgeries, or hospitalizations

Serious or life-threatening illnesses

Painful or invasive medical procedures

Birth Trauma

Birth Trauma

Medical trauma (ex. waking up during a surgery, birth trauma, invasive or painful medical procedures, experiencing medical errors.

Repeated procedures, surgeries, or hospitalizations

Serious or life-threatening illnesses

Painful or invasive medical procedures

Birth Trauma

Birth Trauma

Medical trauma (ex. waking up during a surgery, birth trauma, invasive or painful medical procedures, experiencing medical errors.