The Fear of Re-traumatization can make even the strongest person shut down and not be able to listen to reason, reassurance... or anything. Nervous breakdowns come in twos. A first trauma causes the first one and leads you to feel utterly defenseless. When as sure as you thought you were is as wrong as you turn out to be, it can cause you to doubt all your past decisions and any upcoming ones, at which point you are frozen in limbo. When you're in such a state of feeling exposed and at risk, you live with the constant fear of being re-traumatized.