If two people experience the same hardship, what determines whether one develops trauma and the other doesn't? (Not asking about coping or recovery.)
I've been thinking about trauma and something confuses me.
People often say that if two people go through the same hardship, one may develop trauma while the other does not because they cope differently or because one had more support afterward. But that seems to explain recovery rather than the development of trauma itself.
My question is about what causes one person to develop trauma in the first place while another does not.
To make the question more specific, let's assume both individuals:
- Experienced the exact same event.
- Grew up in the same family and environment.
- Had similar levels of support.
- Had no significant prior trauma or major life experiences that would make one more vulnerable than the other.
Under those conditions, what determines whether one person develops trauma while the other does not? Are some people naturally more sensitive to traumatic experiences because of differences in personality, biology, brain chemistry, genetics, or something else?
In short, what causes the difference in susceptibility to trauma when all other factors are as similar as possible?