– Experience anxiety in situations that bring back memories of the trauma – Show avoidance behaviour (such as persistent avoidance of situations associated with the event) – Feel emotional numbing – Experience a reduced interest in others and the outside world – Have a persistent increased arousal (such as hypervigilance, irritability, jumpiness, rage, and insomnia) – Isolate themselves from others and show a lack of empathy for other people – Have problems showing their parent/carer what they want, or that they need love and safety – Have amnesia surrounding the event – Become aggressive and have problems with impulse control (192) Phobias A young person experiencing a phobia avoids or restricts activities because they have a specific fear. This fear appears persistent, excessive, and irrational. A young person with a phobia may have a strong fear of specific places or events, and will often avoid these situations completely. Situations it is common to develop phobias around include leaving home, crowds, public places, open spaces, speaking in public, and social events. It is also common to develop a phobia of travelling on trains, planes and buses. It is possible to develop a phobia about almost anything, however e.g., an animal phobia. Two common phobias are agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder.
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