What causes a person to have a panic attack?

I can only answer this from my own personal experience. A few years ago I became friends with someone I worked with. There were three of us including my housemate, and we went everywhere together, and hung out all together all the time. However, it was the most stressful friendship I have ever experienced, for reasons I will not go into. After about 6 months of this friendship, I began to have panic attacks. At first they were nothing too bad, but after a while they became so severe that I would hyperventilate until I passed out. The worst came as I was still working with this person, and my work life became unbearably stressful too and I was terrified that I would have a panic attack at work. In the end, I handed in my notice and started a new job this September and have had no contact with this person since, and guess what? No more panic attacks. So for me, they were definitely brought on by severe stress. I hope that I am not just susceptible to them as I don't want them to restart when I am under severe stress again, but I can't actually imagine being in a situation that stressful again!

I had my first panic attack when I was 16 and I had to leave home due to problems with my mother. It's mostly that I had an extreme build up of all this stress and it just attacked my body. I would shake from head to toe and I wouldn't be able to stand. It was terrible. And once they stated to come they kept coming and It was the worse when it was in the middle of the night and I'd wake up with one. When they first started the doctors made me get on Anti-depressants that actually made them worse. Plus I wasn't depressed I didn't understand why they put me on them. I have a medication now that is for just when I have a panic attack to calm me down. Part of the problem is once you have a panic attack it's like you panic about the possibility of having another. Now though I haven't had a panic attack in a long time. I carry the medicine with me just incase and it's a comfort to me that it's there if I need it but I'm not under medication every day. The mind is a tricky thing. You get all overwhelmed and things you thought you were handling just fine end up being what tears you apart. I hope you do not have anymore panic attacks since I know how horrible it can be. What's been going on in your life? I realize you had your first attack in the crowded elevator but their has got to be something else that in your subconscience you are stressed over.

I have had both anxiety and panic attacks. They are common in some people often. A panic attack is a sudden and unexpected period of intense fear or discomfort. It comes out of the blue, without warning. My heart begins to pound in my chest. I feel dizzy and sick to my stomach. It’s hard for me to catch my breath. I feel at times like I'm dying or going crazy. I think also it makes you believe you’re having a heart attack. Panic attacks are terrifying. They can happen anywhere and at any time. Panic attacks often strike when you’re away from home. You may have one while you’re in a store shopping, walking down the street, or driving in your car. Panic attacks can even happen while you’re sleeping, causing you to wake up in a state of overwhelming fear. Panic attacks are common. There are reports that panic attacks occur in more than one-third of adults each year. You may experience an isolated panic attack yet be otherwise perfectly happy and healthy. Or your panic attacks may occur as part of another disorder, such as panic disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, or major depressive disorder. There are medicines that doctors can prescibe to help ease this and help you to function in a daily routine.