---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Part of what makes a situation traumatic…"
description: "\"Part of what makes a situation traumatic is not talking about it. Talking reduces trauma symptoms. When we don't talk about trauma, we remain emotional..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/tian-dayton-35152_denial_part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic_1013453.jpg"
---

#  Part of what makes a situation traumatic is not talking…

![“Part of what makes a situation traumatic is not talking about it. Talking reduces trauma symptoms. When we don't talk about trauma, we remain emotionally illiterate. Our most powerful feelings go unnamed and unspoken.” quote by Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/tian-dayton-35152_denial_part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic_1013453.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/tian-dayton-35152_denial_part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic_1013453.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/tian-dayton-35152_denial_part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic_1013453.jpg)

> “Part of what makes a situation traumatic is not talking about it. Talking reduces trauma symptoms. When we don't talk about trauma, we remain emotionally illiterate. Our most powerful feelings go unnamed and unspoken.”

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Suppressing trauma keeps pain hidden; speaking about it lessens symptoms and builds emotional literacy.

**In simple terms:** Talking about trauma helps heal.

Key Takeaway

Speak to heal.

Themes

mental health communication emotional literacy

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

advice psychology

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- support groups
- personal journaling
- friend conversations

Key Concepts

trauma processing psychological relief

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you create safe spaces for sharing trauma?
- What barriers prevent people from speaking up?

A Different Perspective

Silence can also re‑trigger distress if not guided properly.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Not talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-talking/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Trauma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trauma/)

## Related quotes

> [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/)

[Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/)

> [“Helen Keller became deaf, dumb, and blind shortly after birth. Despite her greatest misfortune, she has written her name indelibly in the pages of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/helen-keller-became-deaf-dumb-and-blind-shortly-after-birth-despite/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I shouldn't say bad stuff about illiterate people. I should write it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-shouldn-t-say-bad-stuff-about-illiterate-people-i-should-write-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Having a financially illiterate society is dangerous, and we have to do something about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mellody-hobson/having-a-financially-illiterate-society-is-dangerous-and-we-have-to/)

[Mellody Hobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mellody-hobson/)

> [Luckily, I'm not educated. If you act like an illiterate man, your learning will never stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arunachalam-muruganantham/luckily-i-m-not-educated-if-you-act-like-an-illiterate-man-your/)

[Arunachalam Muruganantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arunachalam-muruganantham/)

> [I admire Laura Bush because she's the only librarian who would marry an illiterate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-admire-laura-bush-because-she-s-the-only-librarian-who-would-marry/)

[Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/)

> [Illiterate people on the computer and I don't go well together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/illiterate-people-on-the-computer-and-i-don-t-go-well-together/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Ignorance and illiteracy are obviously not synonymous; even illiterate masses can cast their ballots with intelligence, once they are informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-orville-douglas/ignorance-and-illiteracy-are-obviously-not-synonymous-even-illiterate/)

William Orville Douglas

> [“the illiterate of the future will not be those that cannot read or write. Rather, they will be those that cannot learn, unlearn and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/the-illiterate-of-the-future-will-not-be-those-that-cannot-read-or/)

[J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/)

> [The basic scam in the Internet age is pretty easy even for the financially illiterate to grasp. It was as if banks like Goldman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/the-basic-scam-in-the-internet-age-is-pretty-easy-even-for-the/)

[Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/)

> [“Those captivated by the cult of celebrity do not examine voting records or compare verbal claims with written and published facts and reports. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/those-captivated-by-the-cult-of-celebrity-do-not-examine-voting/)

[Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/)

> [Our legal system, including the police, is anti-Dalit and anti-poor. The death penalty laws' wrathful majesty, in blood-shot equality, deals the fatal blow on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-r-krishna-iyer/our-legal-system-including-the-police-is-anti-dalit-and-anti-poor-the/)

V. R. Krishna Iyer

> [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [It's a great lesson in modesty that you realize you're illiterate in a field that you think you're an expert in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/it-s-a-great-lesson-in-modesty-that-you-realize-you-re-illiterate-in/)

[Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/)

> [The road to ignorance is paved with good editions. Only the illiterate can afford to buy good books now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-road-to-ignorance-is-paved-with-good-editions-only-the-illiterate/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

## More by Tian Dayton

> [Above all, anger needs to be felt so it can be talked through, understood and integrated, rather than acted out. In this way, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/above-all-anger-needs-to-be-felt-so-it-can-be-talked-through/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [There is no wisdom without mastery over the mystery of our internal world, the world that opens the door to understanding others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/there-is-no-wisdom-without-mastery-over-the-mystery-of-our-internal/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [Shame is quicksand on the path to soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/shame-is-quicksand-on-the-path-to-soul/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [Neural repatterning comes as we enter into and sustain new types of relationships that allow us to reregulate our sense impressions slowly and over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/neural-repatterning-comes-as-we-enter-into-and-sustain-new-types-of/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [The family is both mystery and reality; it houses our bodies and our spirits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/the-family-is-both-mystery-and-reality-it-houses-our-bodies-and-our/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [We forgive, if we are wise, not for the other person, but for ourselves. We forgive, not to erase a wrong, but to relieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/we-forgive-if-we-are-wise-not-for-the-other-person-but-for-ourselves/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [Accumulating years in the act of living is no guarantee of maturity. In fact, it is possible to be born, grow old and die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/accumulating-years-in-the-act-of-living-is-no-guarantee-of-maturity/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [Suffering is to the heart and soul as tears are to the eyes, cleansing and expelling toxicity from the inner system. When we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/suffering-is-to-the-heart-and-soul-as-tears-are-to-the-eyes-cleansing/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [All the wisdom in the world cannot put in one's heart the love one yearned for as a small child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/all-the-wisdom-in-the-world-cannot-put-in-one-s-heart-the-love-one/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [Only when we stop holding others accountable for all of our troubles can we truly be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/only-when-we-stop-holding-others-accountable-for-all-of-our-troubles/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [We live in a culture that paces itself to the speed of machines. We are trying like good little robots to match our speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/we-live-in-a-culture-that-paces-itself-to-the-speed-of-machines-we/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

> [Our limbic system sets the mind's emotional tone and stores our highly charged emotional memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/our-limbic-system-sets-the-mind-s-emotional-tone-and-stores-our/)

[Tian Dayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

[Explore all 13 Tian Dayton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/)

## More Denial quotes

> [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [It is through suppression that hells are formed in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/it-is-through-suppression-that-hells-are-formed-in-us/)

[Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/)

> [Atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/atheist-s-denial-of-god-s-existence-needs-just-as-much-substantiation/)

[Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/)

> [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [What you try to bury just ends up burying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/what-you-try-to-bury-just-ends-up-burying-you/)

[Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/)

> [Its up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/its-up-to-any-government-to-decide-how-to-react-to-the-denial-of/)

[Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/)

> [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/)

[Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/)

> [“Living in denial only makes finding the truth that much harder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-f/living-in-denial-only-makes-finding-the-truth-that-much-harder/)

Jules F

> [Sanity can take one of only two forms: that of ignorance, or denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/sanity-can-take-one-of-only-two-forms-that-of-ignorance-or-denial/)

[Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/)

> [Denial leads to closure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marwin-machiaveli/denial-leads-to-closure/)

Aruho Marwin Machiaveli

> [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/)

[Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/)

> [It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-not-a-question-of-who-dances-but-of-who-or-what-does-not-dance/)

[Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/)

> [What’s looming in the shadows of our ignorance and denial is a critique of civilization itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lierre-keith/what-s-looming-in-the-shadows-of-our-ignorance-and-denial-is-a/)

[Lierre Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lierre-keith/)

> [“You can hold on to the smallest doubt and take comfort in it, stay in denial and go on with your carefree life, until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/you-can-hold-on-to-the-smallest-doubt-and-take-comfort-in-it-stay-in/)

[Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/)

[Browse all 1,463 Denial quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Part of what makes a situation traumatic is not talking about it. Talking reduces trauma symptoms. When we don't talk about trauma, we remain emotionally illiterate. Our most powerful feelings go unnamed and unspoken.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tian Dayton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic-is-not-talking-about-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Denial"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic-is-not-talking-about-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/tian-dayton-35152_denial_part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic_1013453.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/tian-dayton-35152_denial_part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic_1013453.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/tian-dayton-35152_denial_part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic_1013453.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Part of what makes a situation traumatic is not talking about it. Talking reduces trauma symptoms. When we…” — Tian Dayton",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Tian Dayton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tian-dayton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Part of what makes a situation...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic-is-not-talking-about-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tian-dayton/part-of-what-makes-a-situation-traumatic-is-not-talking-about-it/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
