I used to have them very severely...it was not a pretty thing at all.
Over time, with lots of reading to educate myself, I got to where I cope with them better. While I can't say that I never have them, the vast majority of the time it is now like one part of my brain is able to stay in focus to say
"oh, look, you are having another panic attack. It's not fun, but we've been through this before, so just try to breathe from our belly and know that it will pass"
Someone above mentioned getting a handle on them before they really start snowballing. I agree to that statement 100%. Because once you've had a bad one...and sorry, I rarely say this but fuck you to anyone who doubts how bad they can be...
but once you've had a bad one, your mind plays tricks on you...and it can get to where you are afraid of having another one and that fear itself can trigger one.
Best of luck you to you in dealing with it. And as an fyi, while xanax helps short term, it has it's own set of issues, and isn't a long term fix.
Try meditation.
