My mum is 82 and has attacks if going out to eat . She’s ok with my step sister but no one else. She will go to the supermarket but that’s about it.
She has just cried off going to my brother’s on Christmas day who lives just a mile away.
Is it worth trying to get her out or at her age or shall we just leave her in her comfort zone?
She is quite happy to sit in her front room and worry about the whole world.
I’ve been with her when she’s had an attack and it’s not nice.
The few times we’ve managed to get her out , she has enjoyed it and we think that next time she will be ok but alas no.

I know it sounds a bit obvious, but your mum really is the best person to ask. She may well be feeling frustrated that the panic attacks are holding her back from participating in social and family events. If so there is a wide range of help available, from mindfulness through to anti-anxiety meds. Her GP will be a gateway to a lot of it, other sources are charities and self help groups (and mtb forums, obvs 😉 )

If she is not interested in going out (and you feel that that is genuine, which sometimes it isn’t for a whole variety of non-malicious reasons) then it is ultimately her choice.

Bach’s rescue remedy drops in a glass of water will help a lot.

Some support here:

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Chat to her and find out what causes/triggers it. Anxiety/panic attack’s have no rhyme or reason. For example, I’m fine driving/driving others, but put me in a vehicle with someone else driving then I go to pot

I started a discussion this morning on Cycle Chat about old folk being gullible after my mum aged 87 nearly got scammed by someone in India. I have been thinking and reading up about this today and have read that people definitely become more mentally fragile as they age because the part of the brain that controls belief and doubt deteriorates from the age of 55. Many older women who are recently widowed grew up in an era when their husbands took care of all the financial, travel, house and car arrangements and they did just the domestic stuff and child-rearing. Being suddenly thrown into contact with bureaucracy, utilities, tradesmen, computers and call centres is quite daunting for older people especially women. I can imagine that this would cause a general level of stress and possibly panic attacks.

Yes just chat to her, my mothers the same but we found out it was the unfamiliar layout of new restaurants and how easy it is to get to the toilet, ie, no steps. So anywhere new we have to reccie first, she ll never admit that its the toilet location though, she just makes an excuse.

Good luck btw, i could list all the anxiety issues, not mine, we all just get on with it.

The father in law suffers this (in his mid 70’s). His problem is he reired and basically did sweet fa since. He’s a talent d guy but just doesn’t seem to have engaged with anything. No hobbies, interest etc. If it wasn’t for his wife dragging him out every day he’d just sit there and veg. This seems to be the root of it. He’s just disengaged with life and everything just seems to overwhelm him and stress him out. He just struggles to understand how the modern world works and has lost all confidence. The family had struggled with him for years, he’s had a number of nervous breakdowns and been on medication. So in his case unfortunately there seems to be no magic solution and it’s just a case of trying to keep him occupied as much as we can.