What about Wally World? Does he usually just want the heck out of there becoming a little confused maybe even irratiable especially in busy hours where they are paging every minute at full volume? What about TV? Not being able to watch high action shows but shows formatted in the 70's and earlier are more tolorable? How about watching someone lets say climb a ladder? Is he scared of heights? If so that is classic Vestibular. It is a self preservation mechanism in the brain doing it and it is not an actual phobia. The brain is saying hey you have a balance issue stay off the darn ladder. But they brain doesn't want Joe acros the street on it either.
Any altered hearing? By that I mean the dripping faccet type problems. Where he is almost asleep and any small noise sounds much louder than it is? This is a filtering issue between the Inner Ear and the brain. All of this can trigger anxiety.
Don't be too shocked if you have to go pick him up while he's out sometime because he went into what I call brain fog. Scarey as hell but it's harmless. In a major attack the brain like a computer will start shutting down programs. IOW he may be driving on a street he drives say once a week. All of the sudden sense of where you are at, how you got there, where you were going, etc is gone. It won't kill you but first several times I thought I had major things wrong like a tumor.
Everyone is different bu have any of my post on this thread sounded like what is going on? How about ringing in the ears? Chronic ear infections as a child? Tubes in the ears as a kid? Sinus allergies? Partial deafness? I'm over 50% now. Poor balance? These are some things that can point too what I'm saying that doctors overlook and never consider when treating anxiety. Yet any of us over 50 can remember when persons had what was called Middle Ear infections and how they acted till it passed.
As for brain fog. Yes this has happened. He forgets what he was saying or doing. But it's not an old age thing. He sleep walks and appears totally lucid when he does it, except that the situation is inappropriate for the middle of the night.
Cognitive Aspects of Vestibular Disorders
Panic disorder: the role of the balance system
I also think this needs to be said. To anyone experiencing PTSD you and your family need to look up Serotonin Syndrome. I say this because it might someday save someones life.
Sometimes when persons have underlying neurological issues which are the actual cause of the anxiety and they do not get addressed the wrong medications might be given. In those cases it is important that family and doctor catch this in it's early onset. It is an adverse medication reaction.
This is not Tin Foil Junk Science I have been a witness too it in my wife and almost myself. My wife has serious neurological damage that left her a quadriplegic. She has PTSD. A doctor gave her Trazadone and Zoloft. It ended up having the same effect as LSD would and she nearly died. Six doctors ignored medical history and were too busy having her take SSRI's. Xanax likely saved her life as she was also on it. When a person becomes a quad the first thing they must regain besides limb usages is their Inner Ear and balance.
I have an extensive sensory processing medical history almost from birth the shrinks ignored while insisting I take Paxil and other Meds. I got lucky in the fact I found a book that helped be understand what was wrong. It's called Phobia Free and anyone with a Vestibular medical history should read it. I also later on found a doctor who had seen what I have although there is still no name for it as such as it is several things combined.
Don't get me wrong. Stay on your meds never go cold turkey on any med either but also look at your life long medical history and do some basic detective work. If your doctor doesn't want too listen then find another. I fired 5.