PTSD Symptoms

 I am wondering if some of my own family members have developed PTSD due to COVID-19, but we didn’t realize it. Especially my twin niece and nephew after their dad moved  out.  They are only three years old but they were very close to their father and nothing seems to be working. I mean, the doorbell rings and they rush to the door thinking it is their dad. Or the phone rings and they fall all over themselves to answer it in case it might be their dad. It breaks my heart! What are common symptoms?

Symptoms are all over the map depending on the age and gender of the individual and the type of trauma experienced, It could be they are experiencing stress from separation anxiety. For PTSD, following are some of the symptoms:

•    Social withdrawal
•    Avoiding places, activities, or physical reminders of the traumatic event
•      Acute bursts of fear triggered by stimuli arousing a sudden recollection
•    Panic attacks when reliving a trauma in intrusive memories 
•    Extreme anger
•   Feel numb or detached 
•     Sleep problems
•    May be easily startled    Autonomic hyperarousal with hypervigilance      
•   Fear and avoidance of cues that remind the sufferer of the original trauma       
•   Severe anxiety with or without depression
•    Nightmares and/or flashbacks
•   An inability to control one’s thoughts about the event or experience 

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