My 15 year old son has just left home to go live with his father, because I grounded him for drinking alcohol. He didn't even tell me. My ex loves the anguish and torture I am suffering. I can't sleep and I am having anxiety attacks. I have just started a new bottle of Passiflora and Valerian, which I hope will help. Is there anything else I can take to help?

This is a horrible situation for you, but most teenagers would do the same if they had the option to storm off the moment they were crossed by a parent.

It is very likely that your son will be back when his father annoys him - as he will inevitably do at some point!

Valerian and Passiflora are both good options for keeping your nervous system steady.

You may find that adding a vitamin B complex and some magnesium to your regime will help.

Try to keep away from caffeine in all forms, as it will jangle up your already stressed nervous system and make it harder to sleep.

Drink plenty of plain water, as this reduces the triggers for panic attacks.

Breathing exercises are also useful, and easy to get the hang of.

Obviously breathing exercises and water won't change the emotional pain that you're feeling, but they may help to keep your body strong enough to avoid outright panic attacks, and get you sleeping better.

Sleep is very important for allowing you to think clearly - everything is far more muddled when you haven't slept well.

You may find that taking Emergency Essence whenever the painful thoughts well up will help too.

If you find that the panic attacks aren't subsiding, or that your sleeping patterns aren't improving, it would be sensible to go to the doctor for some help.

Your health is very important.