MsLucy, it could well be, yes, we all find different coping methods. For you it may be hypnosis.
For me, this time round, It was all about control. I may as well start with my story, it may help others to both open up and to be able to identify how their trauma will/may manifest itself.
You will see in my story, bumper, that I don't believe a birth being 'bad' is really much to do with how much trauma you suffer.
When I was 19, I fell unexpectedly pregnant with DD. I was in a very unstable relationship, If I hadn't found out I was pg, I doubt it would have lasted 6 months.
At 23 weeks, I went into hospital with pains, was told if I went into labour it would be classed as a miscarriage rather than prem birth so was pretty scared, but got sent hoe after they couldn't find anything wrong.
At 32 weeks I went back in, in pain, not even that much pain, I could've probably dealt with the pain much easier if I hadn't had a huge row with my then bf and glassed him two days before (long story!) but I completely overreacted and wallowed, my mother took me to hospital.
I was in hospital for a week, on all sorts of drugs, by now nothing was taking the pain away, but they couldn't find anything wrong, no bleeds, scans seemed fine etc.
The cons decided it was probably a cyst or an ulcer and took me down to surgery for an exploratory op on my ovaries and bowels.
When I came round I was in agony and was told I had a very poorly baby in SCBU, my placenta had abrupted and I had lost 7 pints of blood internally.
I didn't get to see DD for two days as I was too poorly to go to SCBU and she was too poorly to come to HDU.
I didn't expect her to survive, especially as she stopped breathing three times, and closed myself off to her, I didn't want to love her incase she was taken away, but she wasn't.
I had severe PND, during which time I attempted suicide and suffered kidney failure because of the OD, but got better and just got on with things.
4 years later I got pg with DS1 and because I hadn't dealt with how rough a time I had with DD it all came back to me, the loss of control and I was really nervous (NOTE: IMO, My birth trauma is NOT because of DD's birth, but because of how my second birth was later handled, I do not believe the severity of the birth makes any difference to the trauma).
I told my cons I wanted a VBAC, he flat out refused, using the 'reasons' that I would probably have placental abruption again if I tried labour (no evidence of this exists) or that I would rupture my scar, mainly because ds1 was going to be a 'big' baby.
I cried, I begged, I pleaded, he would not allow me to have a VBAC. (I didn't know back then just how wrong he was being). The section was booked for the 29th dec. Xmas day I spent drinking a bottle of whisky to try and induce labour so I wouldn't have to have the section.
When I went down to surgery I was crying, I was telling the doctors/nurses/midwives/anyone that would listen that I didn't want this. They still operated. They took my baby away from me in the middle of the operation with no need to. I was terrified he was going to die.
This was a routine uncomplicated elective caesarian.
Three years later, I'm pg again, with DS2 and I find MN (and Lulu and the other lovely ladies on the VBAC thread) and am able to get the control of my birth experience that I needed (birth story of DS2 here but I'm still very aware that when we ttc no4, all these feelings are going to come flooding back, less so thanks to the help I received duringDS2's pregnancy and the good experience I had with him, but they'll still be there.
So, like I said, for me, it's control, I need to be able to control my own experience, I need to make the decisions, I need my birth plan to be followed as much as possible.