Mj,a 21-year-old woman who lived in new york,recently became engaged to a marine stationed in california . on four separate occasions 2 weeks after her engagement,mj experienced episodes of dizziness,fainting,fatigue,chest pain,and choking sensations while at work. At the suggestion of her employer,she scheduled an appointment with her family physician to discuss her physical symptoms.after a after a negative physical examination,the family physician asked mj if she was excited about her engagement.she hesitated at first,then stated that she loved her fiance bus was reluctant to leave her job,friends,and family to move to california. mj was able to relate the onset of her symptoms to time of her engagement. The family physician helped mj to explore feelings of ambivalence about her engagement and suggested that she seek the help of a therapist.after several weeks of counsaliing,the panic attacks subsided,and she was able to discuss her feelings with her fiance.