If a chemical imbalance is diagnosed then meds are prescribed. I personally hate taking pills, so I would opt for counseling first. If that does not help or begin to uncover underlying psychological reasons for the feelings then I would go to the next step which I guess would be a psychiatrist and meds. Try reading Claire Weekes books, Hope and Help for my Jangled Nerves is one which is very good. They teach you how to deal with the panic feelings and that for me is preferable to medicating them or denying they exist. I should add, I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to address this, you just have to find what works best for you. So explore the alternatives before you decide what route to take.