Traumatic experience

A traumatic experience is an event or series of events that cause physical, emotional, or psychological harm, often leaving a lasting impact on an individual's well-being and ability to cope with similar situations in the future

Sources:

Horowitz, M.J. (1989). Stress-response syndromes: A rewire of posttraumatic and adjustment disorders. Psychiatric Services, 37, 245-250.

Horowitz, M. J. (1979). Psychological response to serious life events. Human stress and cognition, 235-245.

Jones, E., Vermaas, R.H., McCartney, H., Beech, C., Palmer, I., Hyams, K., et al. (2003).Flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder: The genesis of a 20th century diagnosis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 182, 158–163.