Exposure to an event in which you were in danger of losing your life or suffering extreme injury, or in which you believed that you were in such danger, or a stressful event or situation (either short or long lasting) of exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature, which is likely to cause pervasive distress in almost anyone, such as a natural disaster like a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake, or a stressful job like police officer, fire fighter, or emergency room worker. Persistent remembering or "reliving" the stressor by intrusive flash backs, vivid memories, recurring dreams, severe emotional reactions, or by experiencing distress when reminded of circumstances similar to the event(s). Attempts to avoid circumstances or situations that remind you of the stressor. These attempts to avoid such situations should not have been present before exposure to the stressor. With most day-to-day memories, there are parts of situations that we have difficulty recalling. I might remember having dinner with you a few days ago, but I might not remember what was on the menu. But people who have been traumatized have unique memory problems related to the stressful event(s). They either can't remember anything about the event(s), or more commonly, can't forget anything about the event(s). People who have been traumatized have increased difficulties with two or more of the following areas that were not a problem prior to the traumatic event(s): Increased difficulty in falling or staying asleep. People who have been exposed to trauma can't fall asleep at night after the traumatic event(s). They may also have difficulty staying asleep once they fall asleep, and may wake earlier than they did prior to the event(s). Increased irritability or more frequent outbursts of anger. People who have been exposed to a traumatic event may develop a shorter fuse after experiencing trauma. They may take it out on family, friends, loved ones, or co-workers. Increased difficulty in concentrating. Once a person experiences trauma it tends to re-play over and over in their minds. These thoughts about the trauma tend to crowd out any other thoughts, making it difficult to stay on-task at work, at school, or at home. Hyper-vigilance People who have been traumatized are always looking over their shoulders. They may sit with their back to the wall at a restaurant so they can see who's coming in the door. They may not like it when others stand too close to them, and they may always nervously watch their surroundings. Exaggerated startle response Hyper-vigilance means that a person who has experienced trauma is always "on guard." This heightened state of arousal makes them more easily startled than others. They may jump when a door slams or may get angry and shout when a child makes a loud noise in the next room.