Anxiety

James LaCrane started his first therapy session with a summary: “I’ve had a really good life. But now I’m faced with losing my wife. I was at the doctor’s office last week, and he told me the cancer in my brain is back. I’ve got to sell everything I own: my home, my car. … In addition, my oldest son just told me he’s getting a divorce. I haven’t had to deal with any of these things before and now all at once at the age of 75. I don’t know how I am going to get through this. I had a panic attack several days ago; the last time I had one was in my 30s when I lost my job. And I know what a panic attack is because I had them as a kid. In junior high I was teased a lot at school because my father was White and my mother was Asian. It comes on all of a sudden. Just like that I can’t breathe, my heart starts beating hard and fast, I have chest pains-it feels like a heart attack, but I’ve been checked out by the cardiologist, and I’m fine. Overall, I just think I am losing control. If I’m honest, I’d say I’ve always been a worrier. Even my friends have noticed that I’ve been on edge; I’m just always tensed up. I’m even restless all night; seems like I can’t ever shut my mind off.