There is a scientific explanation for panic attacks. The body enters a state known as fight-or-flight. It is an evolutionary response developed for life-threatening situations. A part of the brain called the hypothalamus activates two systems: the sympathetic nervous system, through our nerve pathways, and the adrenal-cortical system, through the bloodstream.
The sympathetic nervous system sends a message to the adrenal medulla to release adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream. The release of these stress hormones causes various changes in the body, such as increased heart rate, dilated pupils, elevated blood pressure, and tense muscles. All senses are heightened.
Meanwhile, the hypothalamus releases the corticotropin-releasing hormone into the pituitary gland, which activates the adrenal-cortical system. The pituitary gland secretes adrenocorticotropic, which then makes its way through the bloodstream to the adrenal cortex, where it releases roughly thirty other hormones that, together, prepare our body to deal with a threat.
This response was once meant to prepare us to either physically fight danger or flee from it. The amount of stimuli we now experience on a daily basis has confused our fight-or-flight response, but the instinct remains.
My body was attempting to warn me; it knew something that my mind had not yet realized.