No one really knows what causes panic attacks. When our mind believes there is danger, our body goes into "flee or fight" mode. We start to breathe heavily, our pulse rate quickens and we get a burst of energy to fight off the enemy. The enemy is all in our heads unfortunately. A panic attacks is a result of a perceived but not real danger. Stopping panic attacks is not hard - don't feel like you can't do anything about them.

The overwhelming symptom of a panic attack is an intense feeling of terror. Your pulse starts to race and it is hard to breathe. You might even feel as though you are having a heart attack because you may start to have chest pain. First time sufferers usually end up in the emergency room.

A panic attacks usually starts with an overwhelming feeling of dread. Out of nowhere you start to feel fear. You could be driving your car, eating a meal or even sound asleep.

There is evidence that panic attacks can run in the family. You could be more susceptible than others because someone in your family suffered from anxiety disorder, depression or bipolar disorder. Stopping panic attacks is possible, you do not have to continue to suffer.

Major life stresses or physical illness initially seem to be what causes panic attacks. Also there are some medications that may trigger the attack. Once a person has their first attack, subsequent attacks may be brought on just from the fear of having another. There are programs to help reduce the fear associated with having another attack - stopping panic attacks before they start.

Some other possible causes of panic attacks are:

- Depression

- Alcohol or other drug abuse

- Too many cigarettes or coffee

Even though it's not known what causes panic attacks, there are things you can do to handle the attack once it starts. Remember that people don't die from panic attacks. It may seem like you are but it is all an ill-perceived threat. Breath deeply and think about something calming. Do whatever you can to get through those 10 to 20 minutes of terror. Read on to find out how to stop a panic attacks before it starts.

Most people believe that stress is what causes panic attacks. Stopping panic attacks is possible if you find out what is stressing you out and start working on that. You may not think that you are stressed. Do some internal thinking and talk to your doctor about lowering your stress. Find ways to eliminate what is going on in your life that might be creating stressful situations.

Don't suffer from panic attacks so much that it messes up your normal day to day activities. Stop panic attacks for good by identifying the causes for you and overcome them.