I find it difficult to describe anxiety attacks to people unfamiliar with them. It's especially difficult because these days they don't seem to have any cause, they're very illogical and just pop up out of the blue (I'm on medication that has them pretty well controlled otherwise). It's just, this general feeling of dread and nervousness. The best I've come up with so far is that it's like that feeling when you're trying to do something and there's someone standing over your shoulder, but the feeling is perpetual. Does that seem accurate? Have you come up with a good description to use?