Psychological trauma includes observing or experiencing a life-threatening event and being violated by people on whom you depend for your well-being. After a traumatic event some people become anxious, depressed and others have difficulty managing their daily responsibilities.Trauma can be caused by an overwhelmingly negative event that causes a lasting impact on the victim's mental and emotional stability. While many sources of trauma are physically violent in nature, others are psychological. Some common sources of trauma include: ... Witnessing an act of violence.If you have gone through a traumatic experience, it is normal to feel lots of emotions, such as distress, fear, helplessness, guilt, shame or anger. You may start to feel better after days or weeks, but sometimes, these feelings don't go away.