No one knows for sure exactly what causes a panic attack, or why some people experience them and others don't. Often, it seems that some combination of physical and psychological reactions to your environment cause a panic attack. Your brain may pick up on very subtle changes within your body or the environment and then interpret these slight fluctuations catastrophically, triggering an attack. Other times, a life-changing event or an extremely stressful situation (like the death of a loved one) may cause the reaction.
