I don't know what causes the panic attacks. I have had them since I was about 8 years old. I find now that I panic more often at being overwhelmed and not having control over things. But I can also be sitting in my chair totally relaxed and have a panic attack. You were talking about depersonalization. I have that too. It scares me. I don't like feeling like that. I first did that about 7 years ago. I was in the Kroger parking lot waiting on my husband to come out and just had a panic attack and everything around me seemed surreal. I felt surreal. I seen him walking to the truck and I gotout and started putting the bags in the back and he told me it was embarrassing. I told him something was happening to my brain that I needed the ER (I thought it was a stroke or something) and you know what he did? He just drove me up to the doors and left me there. Alone. And drove back home 17 miles away. If it had not been for my sister (who lives in Louisville it's agood 45 minutes away) I would have had to stay there all night because he said he would'nt come and get me.