Writing a novel that is clearly based on my own experience of trauma

I am writing a novel that is the story of someone who experienced what I experienced. <br><br>The story will go off in fictional directions and will be fictionalized in many ways, but I don't know how to make the characters experiences seem convincing without drawing on my own experiences. <br><br>Why is it a problem to base a story on my own experiences? It isn't, but the story will put me and people I know in a bad light, and even if the places and characters are fictionalized, it may be obvious that the character is based on me or the people I know.<br><br>I gave my main character a different backstory and the story will go in different directions, but there is one pivotal event from my life that I need to include in the story. <br><br>How do I make my characters experiences seem believable without making it obvious that the character is based on me?<br><br>Sorry for rambling, I hope this makes sense. <br><br>TLDR: how to I stop people from figuring out that a character in my novel is based on me?<br><br>Edit: I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to comment and give me their thoughts and advice. Thank you so much for all your help, I really appreciate it.