The 14 Hidden Roots of Psychological Trauma | NowShift August 10, 2025

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Trauma’s fingerprints are everywhere—on our choices, our relationships, our trust in the world—yet we often fail to see them. In this opening episode of our 7-part series, Dr. Abhimanyou Raathore, founder of the Antifragilient Operating System, guides you through a rare and revealing map of the 14 hidden roots of psychological trauma.

What is trauma, really? It’s not just a single shocking event—it’s an injury, whether physical, sexual, or emotional, severe enough to alter your sense of safety, trust, and reality itself. Dr. Raathore explains how these roots often form in early life, shaping the “protective parts” of our personality—managers, firefighters, and exiles—that work tirelessly to keep us safe.

From attachment failures and childhood neglect to community violence, racism, and sexual abuse, you’ll hear how each root leaves a lasting imprint on the nervous system. Most importantly, you’ll discover why these responses are not signs of weakness—they’re intelligent survival adaptations your body and mind created in moments of deep vulnerability.

By the end of this episode, you won’t just know the roots of trauma—you’ll recognize them in yourself and others, and begin to shift from self-blame to self-understanding. Take a breath, offer yourself some gentleness, and prepare to see your inner landscape more clearly than ever before.

This is just the beginning. Subscribe now to follow the series and explore how trauma shapes your emotional symptoms, protective parts, and path toward healing.

A podcast by Dr. Abhimanyou Raathore
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Today is August 10th 2025.
My name is Dr Abhimanyu Rathoreand I'm the founder of the
Anti-Fragilient Operating System.
Today's anti-fragilienttransmission for the day is that

(00:21):
we understand more about traumaand the different kind of
symptoms that trauma can show up.
As you might ask me, doc, whydo we need to understand that?
The reason is that in the pastthree episodes, you were exposed

(00:45):
to or you got to know about thedifferent kind of parts that
you have, that's, the managers,the firefighters and the exiles.
Understanding the differentways in which drama can show up
will help you understand howthese parts got formed for you

(01:06):
as an individual.
So in today's session and thenext six sessions, which are
going to be very interesting, weare exploring a different way
trauma can leave its mark.
The idea is not to diagnose you, but to help you recognize

(01:32):
patterns and understand yourselfbetter.
For our purposes, what is trauma?
Trauma is actually an injury,so it can be a physical, sexual
or emotional injury, and it isso severe that it shifts your

(01:53):
fundamental reality, it shiftsyour ability to trust people and
it even shifts your worldview.
And trauma can be caused by asingle event, or it can be a
long-standing pattern of injury,like childhood abuse or neglect

(02:15):
, and we know from studies thatyou know there are many symptoms
that result from psychologicaltrauma.
In this series we are going tolook at those symptoms across
different categories so you canrelate to them and see how they
might be showing up in your life.
And today we begin with thehistory of trauma.

(02:40):
Now, what is history of trauma?
History of trauma, in simpleterms terms, is when we talk
about trauma, we are not justtalking about one shocking event
.
Sometimes it's a chain ofexperiences that shapes how safe
we feel in the world.
And now let's understand someof the common roots.

(03:08):
The first root could beinattachment failure.
This is when, as a child, youdidn't get the steady love, care
and safety you needed from yourprimary caregiver.
You might have felt unseen,unheard or emotionally alone.
Second route could be childhoodneglect.

(03:33):
You know, because while growingup, it's not just about food or
clothing, but it is also abouthaving your emotional and
developmental needs ignored orrespected.
When they're ignored andthere's no one to comfort you

(03:54):
when you're hurt, scared or sad,that's childhood neglect.
The third route could becommunity violence Growing up in
an environment where fights,shootings, riots or unsafe
streets were a regular part ofyour life and that's why you
couldn't relax, because dangerfelt just outside your door.

(04:17):
That could be another route.
The fourth route could becriminal violence.
You know being a victim ofrobbery, assault or any act
where another personintentionally harmed or
threatened you could be a routeto the fifth.

(04:39):
One could be discrimination.
You know being treated unfairlyor excluded because of your
race, religion, gender, gender,sexuality or appearance.
You know this chips away atyour very sense of belonging.
Sixth root of you know traumacould be divorce.

(05:00):
Watching your parents'relationship break apart and
feeling the emotional fallout,which could be confusion, loss
of stability, sometimes evenguilt could be a root too.
Seventh root could be violentor frightening caregivers.

(05:22):
Seventh root could be violentor frightening caregivers.
You know living with adultswhose anger, aggression or
unpredictability made home feelunsafe can be really tough.
Eighth root could be early loss.

(05:43):
You know it could be death of acaregiver or it could be
adoption.
Losing a parent or a primarycaregiver caregiver, sorry,
caregiver as a child, throughdeath or separation can leave a
deep wound, even if you werelater cared for by someone else.
That can be pretty tough.

(06:05):
Ninth possible route is familyseparation.
You know being physically apartfrom your family due, to, say,
migration, war, imprisonment orother circumstances.
That gap leaves a feeling ofbeing cut off from your roots.
Tenth could be hate crime.

(06:26):
You know experiencing violenceor harassment specifically
because of your identity Okay,it is.
You know probably could be race, religion or sexual orientation
.
Eleventh could be medical traumagoing through painful or
frightening medical procedures,long hospital stays or being

(06:49):
treated in a way that feltunsafe or dehumanizing.
Twelfth could be physical abuseany form of hitting, beating or
physically harming a child oradult.
You know the body remembersthis even years later.
Thirteenth could be racism.

(07:11):
Experiencing prejudice, youknow exclusion or mistreatment
because of your race, sometimesin small daily ways, sometimes
in life-altering moments of yourrace, sometimes in small daily
ways, sometimes in life-alteringmoments.
And, last but not the least,could be the root of sexual
abuse Any unwanted sexualcontact or behaviors, especially

(07:44):
devastating, you know it'sespecially devastating when it
especially happens in childhoodor at the hand of someone you
trusted.
If you noticed yourself in anyof these examples, please
remember it's not about shame orblame.
These are your nervous system'sways of surviving.
These are your nervous system'sways of surviving.

(08:06):
Take time to notice, breatheand be gentle with yourself if
any of these happen to you.
In our next episode, we'llexplore emotional symptoms of
trauma so that you can continuebuilding a clearer picture of

(08:29):
your own healing journey and, inthe process, understanding your
parts that's, your protectiveparts, your firefighters and
your exiles better.
Thank you very much.

(08:51):
I'm holding you close and I'llsee you tomorrow.
Bye-bye.