What is a Traumatic Incident?
A traumatic incident is an event that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. It is a jolt to our psychological systems. It is an event that we experience as sudden, unexpected, incomprehensible, shocking and personally upsetting.
The event or situation causes emotional or psychological trauma in those individuals exposed to the incident directly or indirectly and is usually a sudden, powerful incident outside the range of normal human experiences.
The incident will often have a strong emotional impact that overwhelms the usual coping skills of an individual or group and may be so emotionally impactful that it affects an individual’s ability to function normally.
The degree of impact that an event has on an individual depends on that individual. The experience of an event is subjective and will vary among individuals. Research shows most individuals affected by a critical incident will experience at least some of the reactions listed in the Common Reactions to Traumatic Incidents section and in the Coping With Traumatic Stress brochure. Although unpleasant, these common reactions to a highly stressful event are normal.
REMEMBER: It’s the situation that’s crazy, not you.
Examples of a Traumatic Incidents
- Death or serious injury of a co-worker, student or of a person who is known.
- Suicide.
- An event that is a real or perceived threat to self.
- Witnessing a gruesome or emotionally gripping event or other tragedy.
- Major incidents or multiple casualties.
- Crime and violent situations.
- Natural disaster or environmental threats.
- Death or serious injury to a child or children.
- Gruesome or fatal accidents.
