I too have suffered with panic attacks now for 4 years. They are awful but they DO NOT harm you.
Mine started after a serious car accident i had in sep 2002, i had hyponsis and it really helped me, i also got some beta blocker tablets, but they were very addictive and i didnt want to become dependant on them so i stopped taking them.
Suffering from panic attacks does in NO WAY mean you are a whack job, it is such a common disorder and doesnt come under mental health.
I dont get panic attacks much anymore, but when i do i have a elastic band around my wrist, so when the first sensation comes on, i ping the band really hard on my wrist, your mind then concentrates on the pain and not the panic attack, it really works.
In order to get rid of panic attacks, you need cognitive thinking therapy, its just in order to teach you think differently.
With the world like it is nowadays so many people get stress related disorders, and i bet that if you are having a panic attack in the super market, at leat 5 other people are, you just dont see it!
You will rid them one day, they are nasty but just remember they cause you know harm, its just your brain trying to protect you from fearful situations
