This case study is about Alex, a man in his mid-thirties, who spent over four years in analysis, most of that time with three sessions a week. Alex came into therapy with psychosomatic symptoms and anxiety attacks for which there appeared to be no explanation. The story of therapy describes the development of mental space in which emotional meaning gradually emerges, thoughts and feelings connect, and inner chaos is organized. This is a delicate process, for an ominous light falls on the family history, even affecting Alex’s spirit, darkening his life for many years. The case history that also touches on the traumatic history of Europe and Russia, a history that casts its generational shadow on us to this day. Support us on Patreon and get the scripts to the episodes: www.patreon.com/lives Visit our website for more information: www.psy-cast.org Our youtube-channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivesoftheUnconscious Donation via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=X5F9LSUUUQDWU See also our episode on transgenerational transmission of trauma: https://psy-cast.org/en/episode-21-the-long-shadow-of-trauma-transgenerational-transmission/ All case histories and details named have been published only with the personal consent of those involved and have been modified to render them completely anonymous, so that inference to any real person is not possible; or examples have been invented and are fictional. Possible overlaps with any real persons are therefore coincidental. **Help in mental crises**: If you are in a mental health crisis, look for help in your local area and reach out to professionals. Many countries also have national programs.If you are not well, please decide for yourself if you want to listen to this podcast episode. This episode is about panic attacks, anxiety and transgenerational trauma.