Trauma and stress exist on the same continuum. This means that for events that cause an intense reaction, something we would describe as "stressful" could become trauma without time and resources that promote recovery. Trauma occurs when the impact of an event or events last much longer than the event itself. It can come from "too much too soon, too much for too long, or not enough for too long."  Trauma disorders occur when remembering an event causes intense symptoms of overwhelm and avoidance becomes a predominant way of coping with memories and reminders.