After trauma, the danger may be over, but the body and brain may continue to react as if it were still present. These reactions can be hard to understand. A person may think, “I should be over this by now.” Trauma responses are not a lack of willpower. They are often survival strategies that developed when safety was threatened.

Grief is often associated with the loss of a loved one. Yet many forms of loss are not socially recognized. These experiences, sometimes minimized, are known as invisible grief.