What causes Panic Disorder?

PD usually starts between late adolescence and the mid-30s.  It is strikingly different from other types of anxiety because panic attacks are sudden, appear to be unprovoked and are often disabling.  You experience an intense fear, perhaps a fear of dying, or a sense that something unimaginably dreadful is about to occur and that you are powerless to prevent it.

Physical illnesses, psychosocial stress or certain drug treatments may trigger your first panic attack.  Or it may be precipitated by drugs of abuse that increase activity of parts of the nervous system involved in fear and anxiety responses.

Women are marginally more likely than men to be diagnosed with PD. 

Genetic factors appear to influence the likelihood of a PD diagnosis with a greater prevalence among first-degree relatives of patients with PD, particularly if the onset was before 20 years of age.