By the time she had her third panic attack in two weeks, I'd been seeing Paula, a bright, adventurous graduate student from Colombia, for the better part of a year. I was, frankly, puzzled by the episodes. Exploring her earlier history and her present life unearthed no real clues as to why she'd still be suffering such a powerful, persistent feeling of dread. Her daily regimen now included running, weight-training, relaxation exercises, and yoga, and still, even with all her hard work, she constantly battled feelings of overwhelm and fear.