you wrote:

"I was pretty much ok until I got physically ill with Covid. Somehow that seemed to bring everything crashing down on me."

Well, you know, that is kind of a description of PTSD, right there. Works underneath everything...and sometimes without being noticeable. And then...of a sudden...everything collapses.

When I was kidnapped, I was jumped on the street and thrown into a van. A couple of blocks away, a car backfired.

I did not notice it at the time, but for 8 fully years after the kidnapping, any time a car backfired, I would jump. And that is bad enough. But one time, I jumped. And I did not notice that a car had backfired, until after. Apparently, part of this is fully subconscious.

So, between serious medical problems, the long covid and your own experience with violent crime...seems reasonably worthwhile to get assessed to see if you do have underlying PTSD.

There is very specific treatment for that, not just general talk therapy. Things like "de-escalating the triggers."

Best of luck...