I have panic attacks and I get them from certain things, there are two major ones. Right now I'm on Zoloft for depression and anxiety, plus I get therapy every 3 weeks. I've had them for 5-6 years now and I still get them, but they're a little bit more manageable. I wish I could get rid of them though. Email me if you wanna talk. Good luck!
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ya they can get better. for me all i had to do is spend more time around people. build up a sense of confidence and self worth. and eventually i just kind of forgot to have panic attacks.
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i;m going through the same thing and it sucks!! i find the more i think about it the worst it is and tends to bring them on...what everyone has been telling me is that when you feel one coming on just try your hardest to relax (i know this is real hard) and just keep thinking to yourself it's only a panic attack it cant kill or hurt me, and just keep practising that (i'm still practising i feel like such a dork) also if you imagine your stomach is a balloon when you breath in make your stomach full out as much as it can then count to three and just let the air slowly come out buy itself like when you let go of a balloon, and keep doing it until you feel relaxed enough..and dont be scared if it doesnt work straight away because it does take practise. try and change your way of thinking too like be more positive, i really know this is so hard because i keep thinking there's something wrong with me with makes it so much worse. Hopefully you'll learn to control them soon! sorry if you dont understand what i am saying
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It is up to you. See this page under mental issues with things you can do according to MDs.

http://phifoundation.org/heal.html
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What causes panic attacks?

According to one theory of panic disorder, the body's normal "alarm system," the set of mental and physical mechanisms that allows a person to respond to a threat, tends to be triggered unnecessarily, when there is no danger. Scientists don't know exactly why this happens, or why some people are more susceptible to the problem than others. Panic disorder has been found to run in families, and this may mean that inheritance (genes) plays a strong role in determining who will get it. However, many people who have no family history of the disorder develop it. Often, the first attacks are triggered by physical illnesses, a major life stress, or perhaps medications that increase activity in the part of the brain involved in fear reactions.

Do they ever get better?

Panic attacks tends to continue for months or years. However, thanks to research, there are a variety of treatments available, including several effective medications.
If left untreated, it may worsen to the point where the person's life is seriously affected.
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Generally, stress and anxiety. They may very well be caused as a result of depression. Are you on an anti-depressant? If not, I would suggest talking to your doctor. If you are already taking one, the dosage may need to be adjusted, or you may need a different medication all together. When I first started on the antidepressant, they immediately got better, but I would still have mild ones right before my monthly cycle. Then after about 5 months of taking them, I haven't had another one. Good Luck! Talk to your doctor. Please. It's not just a psychological problem, it is also a medical one.
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Anxiety, for the most part, triggers such attacks.

To overcome such attacks you'll need to re-learn how you react to things. Develop a higher degree of self control.

It's work, but, you can learn to shunt such attacks away.
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i used to get panic attacks from being in a places that i didnt like to be and i wanted to get out so i would panic
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panic attacks are often caused by stress or some other 'trigger' that sets the brain off into panic mode. most of the time, it's stress - people may be triggered by being sick, being in the hospital, remembering a bad memory in their life that is frightening or disturbing to them (such as assault, rape, etc), certain noises or sounds, feeling overwhelmed...lots of things.

people can get over panic attacks by visiting a doctor and getting medications such as xanax or ativan that can help to calm you down during an attack. also, by learning things such as deep breathing, meditation, and relaxation techniques, you can also cut down on panic attacks by RECOGNIZING when you are getting stressed or overwhelmed and relaxing yourself before getting into full blown panic.
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RN

It is not yet clear what causes many panic attacks, but several possibilities are under scientific investigation. Potential causes of panic attacks and panic disorder may include one or more of the following:

Physiological
Panic attacks may be related to hyperventilation (shallow chest breathing which leads to imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide).
The brain's mechanism for warning of a lack of oxygen may be triggered in error, leading the body to respond as if it is in fact suffocating.
There may be a genetic disposition or other hereditary basis for panic disorder.
Hormonal imbalances, certain illnesses, and substances—such as caffeine, prescription or over-the-counter medications, and illegal drugs—can trigger panic attacks.
Psychological
Major life transitions such as graduation, marriage, or birth of a child may precede a panic attack, particularly the first one.
Severe stress, caused by the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss for example, can elicit a panic attack. For more information and coping tips, see Helpguide’s Coping with Stress: Management and Reduction Techniques and Coping with Loss: Guide to Grieving and Bereavement.
Generalized anxiety or severe separation anxiety can develop into panic disorder or phobias, most often agoraphobia.
A history of emotional trauma, even if not recalled, may be behind some panic attacks. Overwhelming stress in your current situation may trigger a response based on an emotional trauma that occurred earlier in your life.
Panic attacks fall into three different causal patterns:

Unexpected: panic attacks occur "out of the blue," without warning, and with no clear reason, sometimes even when asleep.
Situational: panic attacks occur in specific, repetitive situations in which a person always has an attack (such as when crossing a bridge, or when entering a crowded place).
Situationally predisposed: panic attacks occur under circumstances in which the person is likely to have an attack, but does not always (such as driving on the freeway).
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There are medications for panic attacks.
Make sure you do not have mitral valve prolapse which is associated with panic attacks.. This can be helped by a cardiologist..
They will get better with the right help. Go to the doc, get the heart syndrome ruled out, then get a referral for a psych doc if needed.
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im not sure what causes them, but i know i grew out of them. i used to get them all the time, now i haven't had one for almost a year. that doesn't mean they always get better, mine did though.
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