I've read somewhere on the Internet that there is some "centre" (I forgot its name) in the brain that is responsible for the amount of adrenaline in a human's body. For some people this "centre" produces a low or a normal level of adrenaline and for some- more adrenaline than needed (those who suffer from panic disorder and related illnesses). I do really hope that someday scientists will discover how to decrease this level of adrenaline.

Wow Thanks for sharing all that info with us! That is great stuff! Also, I believe what you said about the cognitive factor. Now that I know more about my panic attacks and my bodily sensations (I guess the interoceptive exposure wasn't all bad after all ;p ) When my body does go into panic mode my head does not always follow anymore. So my heart is pounding and I am sweating and hot and shaking an all that stuff but in my head I am calmer then usual and so my experience of fear is much less. When I do let my mind run away with the bodily symptoms then I really PANIC! Amazing how strongly what you think can change things. This program helps me so much. Thanks again for the info and for the support.! -Diva

Hi everyone, Ever wonder what the causes of panic disorder are? Researchers are still working to discover what exactly causes of panic disorder. Most likely these causes are very complex. However, current research leads us to believe that there are many contributing factors including heredity/genetics, brain and other biochemical functioning, stressful life events, and cognitive factors (including a tendency to overreact to normal bodily sensations) that can contribute to someone having panic disorder. Heredity/Genetics. Panic disorder runs in families. One research study has shown that if one identical twin has panic disorder, its likely that the other twin will also have the disorder. Fraternal, or non-identical twin pairs, do not show this high degree of "concordance" for panic disorder. This tells researchers that it may be a genetic factor (since identical twins have the same genes) in combination with environment that people live in. Brain and Other Biochemical Abnormalities. Some evidence suggests that panic disorder may be associated with increased activity in the parts of the brain that monitor a stimulus and control the brains responses to it: the hippocampus and locus coeruleus. It has also been shown that panic disorder patients have increased activity in a portion of the nervous system called the adrenergic system. The adrenergic system regulates some of the bodys functions - like heart rate and body temperature. However, we still dont know whether these increases reflect the anxiety symptoms, or whether they cause them. Another group of studies suggests that people with panic disorder may have abnormalities in their benzodiazepine receptors, parts of the brain that react with anxiety-reducing substances. In conducting their research, scientists can use several different techniques to cause (or induce) panic attacks in people who have the disorder. The best known method is intravenous administration (a shot) of sodium lactate - the same chemical that normally builds up in the muscles during heavy exercise. Other substances that can trigger panic attacks in susceptible people include caffeine (usually 5 or more cups of coffee are required). Hyperventilation and breathing air with a higher-than-usual level of carbon