It is common for people who are your mother's age to develop some form/s of anxiety; especially about traveling too far away from home or being away from home for an extended period of time. This does not imply that she may be experiencing a significant amount of anxiety but she appears to have some anxious thoughts that prevent her from traveling etc. For example, "What if something happens to the house while we are gone?', "What if something happens to our dog?" etc. It is also common for some elderly people to feel as if they need to stay close to home so that they will be "in control" of things and be able to effectively manage their life - again anxious thinking. It might be helpful to have your mom and/or dad and mom, see someone to investigate this further.

Your frustration is a common one. May clients believe that if they take medication their symptoms will go away and they will be free of their issues. This is a common misunderstanding! Taking medication alone will not rid you of your anxiety. You need to understand how your thinking and behavior creates, maintains and exacerbates your anxiety. You need to learn how to reframe your thoughts so that you do not create anxiety. Certain behaviors need to be addressed as well. Medication alone is not the answer. Medication combine with therapy has the highest success rate in resolving emotional and psychological issues. I suggest you find a qualified and experienced therapist in CBT to help you decrease your anxiety.

The behavior that you are describing is usually an indication that there are some other significant issues that your daughter maybe experiencing. Her behavior is commonly described as acting out behavior, attention-seeking behavior etc. I do not, however, want to jump to conclusions and stereotype your daughter. I suggest you sit down with your daughter and have a talk with her to see what is going on and if there is anything bothering her. If you have difficulty communicating with your daughter or if she refuses to talk to you - have her visit with a professional so that she feels she has someone to talk to, where she will feel comfortable in dealing with whatever issues that may be going on.

You appear to have what I call the "Confession Obsession". You are not alone. In fact, this is quite a common obsession people have. I have treated this obsession and several others effectively with CBT. If you find that this is causing difficulties in your daily life or is causing you anxiety, consult with a CBT specialist to become educated on how CBT can eliminate this for you.