A traumatic experience can be processed and stored in the brain in different places. If the event is stored in the pre-frontal cortex, the area responsible for rational adult thinking, the experience is unlikely to cause persistent trauma or injury. Problems occur when the traumatic experience is process and stored in the amygdala, the survival part of the brain responsible for fight-flight-freeze responses. When that happens, a seemingly mundane event like a firecracker on the 4th of July can trigger an overreactive response that is rooted in a past traumatic event, such as a landmine detonating. Or, you might experience a significant anxiety response in your body when anticipating a situation at work or argument with someone.