M5 · Clinical Practice
M5
Slide 3
CONTENT
12-15 MIN
Trauma, Chronic Stress and Neurobiological Dysregulation
1. Trauma Across the Life Course
For many people experiencing homelessness, trauma is not a single past event. It is cumulative and layered.
Trauma may include:

Childhood neglect or abuse

Exposure to domestic or community violence

Institutional experiences (foster care, prison, psychiatric wards)

Loss of housing and social status

Street violence and exploitation

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)

Rejection due to sexual orientation or gender identity

Chronic poverty and insecurity

These experiences often accumulate over years. The result is not only psychological distress — but physiological adaptation to prolonged threat.
Trauma is therefore not simply an emotional memory. It becomes embedded in the nervous system.