Anita: minimal interactions with people= minimal anxiety
Normally I would agree, except these are people I care for greatly.
My wife also suffers from anxiety and she will be seeing her Dr. about her mental issues.

TeaK: Actually, things have worked out well concerning my Wife’s career. She was able to retire from her long term teaching position and take another one, moving from High School to Middle School, which she finds much easier and gratifying.
So, she is making her same salary as well as collecting her pension from the first job! That and my job is going better, so the money issues have moved to the background.

I’m pretty sure my attacks were due to concern for family and friends.
What I find strange is I didn’t have the feeling of fear, dread or other feelings you’d normally have when I heard the news.
Very puzzled by that.
Still looking for ways to calm myself without relying on drugs.