Described are two fundamentally different catagories of psychotraumatic situations. Emotional traumata are belonging to the human way of existence, are connected with 'normal' lif e events and bring about a damaged I and Self. Existential traumata are not belonging to the human way of lif e and injure and attack the existence of men. Ina way which is not really communicable and not well treatable, in the context of our usual psychiatrie concepts. Existential traumata are followed by some form of the Existential Emotional Stress syndrome. This syndrome asks a special diagnostic and therapeutic approach. It has to do with specific vulnerability aspects.