Dear LL - You have certainly been through some very challenging times and Dr. Fee's thoughtful response to your question hopefully helped you understand how these types of events in a person's life affect the way you have been feeling. It might also be helpful to you if you can identify the specific fears that you have been experiencing. Sometimes we become troubled by very irrational fears that we can very successfully challenge if we take some time to really examine them. Cognitive approaches to anxiety teach people to engage in just that kind of examination and then begin to look closely at the likelihood of the feared event really taking place. In your case, this might involve thinking about the jobs you have performed successfully and determining what that success can tell you about the likelihood that you will have any significant problems in this new job. It is also possible that some of the anxiety that you have been experiencing is related to the many feelings that you might have had in response to your mother's death. The thought of starting a new chapter in your life without your mother around may make it seem all the more difficult. I agree with Dr. Fee that it might be helpful to contact a therapist to help you address all of these important issues in order to help you feel more like your typical self. Finally, just a word about use of antidepressants in response to acute stress / anxiety. These medications are very helpful but they are not designed to work quickly. Take a look at the Feature of the Week on the AnxietyConnection.com homepage for Anxiety Drug Information or check out MyDepressionConnection.com for descriptions of antidepressants. If you believe that you might need some medication for short-term anxiety relief please contact your primary physician. Hope this was helpful! Dr. Rick Wirtz