juliana, i also went through a time of agoraphobia. very intense. and being rational about it did zilch. i tried all the suggestions, read the books, did it all........couldn't leave house to go to T........

i loved your hockey story. i wanted a photo of rodeo cowboys, bulldogging......but i wanted it from the back of the action. the stock producer let me climb up on the chute and straddle the chute right over the steer that was going to run out...i thought i was going to die.....when those quarter horses took off, the earth shook. but it's one of my best shots and it's in a museum in New Mexico. we can do those things and then blam!

i've recovered from the agoraphobia and still do the death defying stuff. i was in my 50s when i took the rodeo shot.

Dr. Clay, do you think any of this resilence is inherited or is it environmental? thanks, pat