Every human perceives life through his or her own lens. They use what they perceive to help them interpret the world around them and their experiences in it. They set standards as to what is "normal" using their perceptions and interpretations. What they don't account for is that EVERY person is different and thus sees/perceives/experiences life through his/her personal lens. What is hurtful or distressing to me (putting atrocities aside) may not be hurtful or distressing to you yet people are quick to judge others through the lens of their own experience. Something that was uniquely distressing/traumatic to my Dad at times would affect his blood sugar levels. Things that are uniquely distressing/traumatic to me can trigger anxiety or a mood swing if I'm not careful. It would not suprise me to find out that every person in the world has something distressing--uniquely traumatic--to them. The trouble is, few people would admit it for fear of being judged as weak or whiners, as you say, John. Eventually, we will see the vulnerabilities/the traumas, in those with whom we deal closely. Though they may not have been compassionate or supportive of us, let us be so with them and perhaps help them to see beyond the scope of their personal lenses.
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How much do you know about bipolar disorder? 
So... what is Trauma?
Something happens and it causes all sorts of symptoms to manifest when it is triggered on down the road a ways. The actual event does not continue to happen, but the lingering and residual imprint is left permamently within the brain due to the nature of the event causing a "stamp" or "hole" or "mis-wiring".
Each time anything even remotely similar comes up, the person manifests symptoms from somewhere deep within their psyche.
Now... what if the "something" is not WAR or COMBAT or RAPE or MURDER or MOLESTATION or some other societal accepted form of atrocity?
What if it were something considered by society, your society within your realm of your world, as something "less", "minor", or even "trivial". In having the symptoms manifest - the incident relived - the pain and struggle commence... would it still equate to "trauma", the same "trauma" as the atrocities that society widely accepts?
Or would you be considered as "making more out of it than is necessary" or "she is just hypersensitive about things"?
See... it's nice to say that "trauma is trauma" and the truth is, Trauma is Trauma to the individual that has it happen to them.
However, when the professional folks that you go to see - for assistance - ALSO (never mind family & friends) have their own pre-conceived judgment of what validates trauma, and they are the ones that will supposedly "render" assistance to you...
you, quite often, do NOT receive any help or service or "assistance".... except MAYBE (maybe, quite often not) another pill, for the symptom(s).
Hey, Tabby. We're in direct alignment, only you framed the issue way better than I did, with the amplification that it needs. PTSD, in essence, is a highly politicized diagnosis, so in my next post it will be worth exploring the politics of it. The short version is it entered the DSM-III of 1980 thanks to the efforts of various advocates for Vietnam veterans. The DSM-I from the 50s had "gross stress reaction," which was dropped from the DSM-II of 1968. So, the modern diagnosis came up in the context of exposure to combat in relation to a particular war, which raises the whole sensitive issue of devaluing our troops were we - the general public - to also raise our hands and say, "Wait - I've been exposed to some pretty heavy-duty stuff, myself," which means we've conceded that everyday experience (such as an auto accident) or a bunch of small things with a huge cumilative impact (such as constant verbal put-downs) doesn't count.
"Outside the range of usual human experience," is the terminology. So - heaven help if my trauma or your trauma - very very real to us - is considered "inside the range." Then we're just whiners and complainers who need to snap out of it. This is totally wrong to me.
Let's put it this way. Suppose you had a heart attack while vacuuming the carpet. Imagine the EMT people saying, "Well, vacuuming is in the usual range of human experience, so we're not going to administer CPR."
Oy!
or, you inform siblings of how you went through sexual molestation as a teenager and then spousal rape and how, it's affected your whole social life... and they tell you that "it's nothing. It's not like you were raped as a teen or raped as a spouse. Really? You are just making more out of it than it is to get attention. You are just hypersensitive and weird."
what is worse is when a therapist or 2 (in my case), shrugs, and tells you that neither situation was "like actual rape." and proceeded to explain why neither was (cause spousal rape, to many, isn't rape).
by the way... i don't mention the teenage sexual molestation or spousal rape to anyone period - anymore. i just deal with it quietly, to myself. Just one of the traumas I've endured.
Yet, your example... the EMT
got me to thinking... a scenario likened to the psychiatric/therapeutic world
that I've, all too often, encountered over 35 years of seeking assistance...
"no, I'm not going to perform CPR
isn't like your heart has actually really and truly stopped...
YOU just THINK and FEEL that it has... I'm just going to hand you some pills to take.
Here... here are 3 different pills and you just take those. No, I'm not going to go get you some water to swallow them. You can swallow them.
You are just making it out more than what it is.
Yes, I see you are having some issues supposedly talking, breathing, and your veins are bulging out but really... you just THINK and FEEL that your heart has stopped.
If you just take these 3 meds, in 3 months you'll feel better or we'll find you some new pills to take.
Here you go.
No, now I said I'm not going to give you CPR, you don't need it."
" uhm hum, you are questioning my assessment of your situation? well, let me explain why it's not needed cause really, your heart hasn't stopped beating. Yes, the color has drained from your fingertips and your face has turned purple and well, a heart beat is sorta faint, but seriously... it's not as bad as you are making it and NO we are not going to treat you as if your heart has stopped beating and give you CPR. You don't need that.
What you need is more therapy and those meds. Now are you going to take those meds cause you know what happens when you don't take your meds."
" alright alright! gosh you are such a hypersensitive hyperchondriac (patient can't hear this comment because patient has pretty much died at this point, brain that is)... here... let me explain since you are gurgling and gasping, and turning colors why, again, your heart hasn't stopped - why you need to take your meds I just handed you, and why you don't need CPR.. in my well educated analysis and assessment of your situation.
Hello? Hello? Helllloooo? Are you paying attention? Have you gone to sleep on me? Hmmm, maybe that anti-psychotic should be dialed back a wee bit. Hello? Hellloooo?"