THERAPIES FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS: JACKIE’S CASE
Jackie and her husband had spent the evening talking about their son, who was experiencing ongoing panic attacks and was now too frightened to go to school. The school had threatened them with legal action if he did not return to school the following week. The parents were given two options on how to get him there: either a teacher would be sent to collect him and, once at school, would stand over him all day to ensure he remained at school; or, to cure him of his fear, the teacher would take him to a nearby town and leave him there to find his own way back. When he got back he would see there was nothing to be frightened of. Jackie had explained to the school and her husband about the panic disorder. Although her husband tried to understand, the school couldn’t. Jackie had tried to comfort her son and to help him in whatever way she could, but her son had told her she didn’t really understand. She did. Jackie had developed panic disorder after her son’s birth but she had never told anyone, not even her husband. Jackie felt she couldn’t tell anyone even now.
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