My entry for 
The sudden irrational fear, terror, and sadness of a panic attack can be so powerful that they feel like a blow to your very being. Many people experience panic attacks every day. Panic attacks can be a good symptom of an underlying illness, and patients may also experience the symptoms during an attack. Although the symptoms of a panic attack can be frightening, it is important to understand that a panic attack is not a life-threatening condition.
Every type of symptom or illness can have a distinct genetic make-up, so an individual's experiences can often indicate a genetic component, because one individual's response to a specific set of stimuli is not representative of the response
Most people who panic believe they must do something because of their situation, such as hide, or grab a gun to defend themselves, but usually panic is just that. It has nothing to do with situational awareness. Panic is an involuntary physiological response, caused by an ongoing threat that has caused significant changes in your body's physiological and mental state.
People may be suffering from some other mental health issue at the time of their panic attack. While the exact cause of panic attacks is still unknown, most experts agree that an underlying physical condition such as anxiety, depression, or addiction plays a major role. Commonly, panic attacks are triggered by the anticipation of a situation that is distressing but is not really a threat, such as the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one.
