Panic attacks and talking

Panic attacks and talking
Tuesday September 01, 2009

Dear Alice,
My mother is 86 years old and suffered and continue to suffer of panic
attacks – as you can imagine she was always treated by medicine for heart
or stomach disease and now when she get older her panic attacks become
often.
Before, she never heard about panic attacks, first time I told her last year
about it (we was not in contact for a long time) when we get in touch again
I told her that she have panic attacks – she listens to me and wants to
know and understand and be off this panic attacks.
She read one of your books last year (I gave it to her) and I wonder if
reading yours other books can help her even if she is so old. What is your
opinion?? What can help here? What can I do for her ? She is open to do
something . I will appreciate very much if you give me some advice.

Best regards, SG

AM: It is never too late for the truth if one really WANTS to know it. Let your mother talk to you about her childhood, what she suffered of, then she will find out what the panic attacks have to tell her, and this understanding can help her to overcome the fear. Otherwise, in the full denial, she doesn’t know what she is scared of, and this is VERY PAINFUL. Knowing the reason of one`s fear can be very relieving. But it is possible that she will refuse to talk about her childhood, then you can’t do anything. Don’t try to force her.