Thank you @Appleblossom Hi @Snowie
Welcome to the forum @Goldie1980 Panic attacks are simply awful, for me, they can come in a variety of intensity, some with warning and some seemingly out of nowhere. Sometimes medication takes longer than we'd like to have enough of an effect on the chemistry of our body to make a noticeable difference, so it's important to stick with the dr's advice and the meds.
As you know the effects of self medicating is compounding the situation, perhaps you could try some other options as you let the meds do their thing.
I must admit, I have learned to take a practical step by step approach when it comes to ways of coping, so I apologise in advance if my suggestions aren't helpful.
My panic attacks, and all the related emotional stuff that goes with them, stem from trauma situations starting in childhood and being added to as I grew older.
I find I can manage reactions better these days because I know most of the situations that are likely to trigger an attack so I prepare ahead of time to head them off.
Relaxation exercises, meditation exercises, crochet, sewing, craft and things of interest, activities that require focus and attention are good. Things not so much reading or tv viewing because they aren't totally consuming.
Is there something you do that helps? Have you been able to identify any thing that causes the anxiety? You don't need to say what those things are, just to work them out for yourself can be really usefull.
I hope you find the forum a helpful and friendly place and look forward to seeing you around. 
Hey there my dear friend, Goldie1980, (golden was my birth hair color, and 1980 is my birth year,) so's we got that in common. Sorry about the panic attacks. I'm not going to dog you for drinken. I used to do drugs because the euphoria provided by the drugs over-shawdowed the pain, distress, and or abuse I was currently enduring. No one knows your pain, brother. Pay those people no mind. The ones that scold you with all the facts. It may be true that you are just putting a bandaid on a massive wound and doing more damage than good. But, atleast you are not entertaining distortions of drowning yourself in the lake you raised your daughter to feed the ducks at. .............. Sorry, back to you. Man, you know drinking your pain away is a futile fantasy. You'll do what you want to! I think you will do fine. You've got enough intellagence to hold down a job, use a computer, so you've got enough sense to know when enoughs enough. Hang in there. My prayers are for you my strong, and courageouse brother.
My panic disorder friend, you pay those folks no mind that dog you for drinken. When you learn better you'll do better. Panic attacks can be scary. Scarier than a heart attack, there is no end to a heart attack sometimes; but there are warning signs. Does drinking alcohol encourage panic attacks?
Here is some help for you:
There are several types of panic disorders, the most common being a panic attack. While panic attacks dont usually last for more than ten minutes, to say they can become detrimental to your way of living and your daily activities is an understatement.
If you believe that you are having panic attacks, it is best to go and get help for the disorder. In order to know whether you are having an attack or not, you should first look for the symptoms. Here are ten warning signs of a panic attack.
1. Increased heart rate. Often times, when you begin to panic, your heart rate will begin speeding up rapidly. This will often feel like a pounding feeling that is happening from your heart. This is usually accompanied by a feeling of pain in the chest.
2. Difficulty breathing. This also can be a shortness of breath that begins to occur. This is usually as a result of the increased heart rate. Often times, when you are having a panic attack, you will feel like you have to gasp for air, instead of being able to breathe easily.
3. Nausea. This is often accompanied by a dizzy feeling as well as feeling sick to the stomach. Often times, nausea is also part of becoming light headed. Because of the quick shift in your way of thinking, nausea will react in your body, trying to balance out the physical reactions to the panic.
4. Coldness or numbness in the hands. Often times, sweaty palms, or numbness occur during a panic attack. While the hands will seem to have a more extreme shift in temperature than the rest of the body, this same coldness or numbness may also be present in other parts of your body.
5. Fear. This is one of the largest parts of a panic attack. There are several different types of fears that accompany panic attacks. One is the fear of dying. Another fear is that of losing control or going crazy. If you are in a certain area, then other types of fears may accompany this as well, depending on what triggers the panic attack.
6. Depersonalization. This is similar to what many refer to as an out of body experience. At the beginning of your panic attack, you may begin to feel as though you are not really you and that this situation is not who you are. This sense of depersonalization is a large part of panic attacks.
7. Cold or hot flashes. You may begin to get sweaty and begin to shake. At the other extreme, you will feel cold and hot at the same time.
8. No basis for the attack. Many describe panic attacks as having no basis behind them. They will be in a normal situation, doing the work or chores of the day when a panic attack occurs. The symptoms will begin to occur suddenly while doing the activities of the day.
9. Terror. Panic attacks are often accompanied by more than fear. Those that have panic attacks may also get an overwhelming feeling that something horrible is about to happen. They may not feel like they have control to prevent this event from happening, adding onto the terror.
10. Loss of control. Along with the physical symptoms and ideas that are in a panic attack is the idea that one is going to loose control. This is a result of the panic attack triggering. Because of the quick change in body functions as well as the ideas that follow, one will often feel like they are not able to control their body as well as what is about to happen.
Usually, those with panic attacks have four or more of the symptoms that are mentioned above. A panic attack will usually not last for more than ten minutes. However, the feelings of fear that accompany it can last up to an hour.
If the panic attacks become more frequent and extreme, it can also result in a panic disorder, causing for dysfunctions to occur in your everyday life. If you have these symptoms, or know someone who has panic attacks, it is best to look into the problem as soon as possible, so that the attacks don’t worsen.
@Goldie1980 do you have anything you like to do to help shift your focus from the troubling thoughts to something else, at least for a little while? Like a distraction, so you can get a bit of a rest from the thoughts. Sure , they're not going to go away completely until the underlying issue is dealth with.
However, you can be kind to yourself and give yourself some time to find a solution by getting that break in the seemingly continuous flow of troublesome thoughts, if that makes sense.
One of the tricksy things with panic attacks is not the panic attack itself, it is the worry about when and where we might end up having a panic attack begins to control our behaviours.
Give yourself some time to mend a bit. Do you do crafty things? Read or watch engaging and uplifting television (negative stuff isn't helpful), or go walking, even just sit outside in the fresh air for a while?
I hope your day is just the teensiest bit better than yesterday. 
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Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as traditional custodians of the land on which it operates. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging, and value the rich history, unbroken culture and ongoing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to country.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.