Hi Hopefull, yes they are a whole lot less scary then panic attacks. I have to stop whatever I'm doing too, just to get my barings.
Hi Candybear, I'm not on meds right now but I didn't get this when I was on them, either. I'm positive it's a psychological thing, having to do with anxiety on a much smaller scale than those full blown attacks. They're like little baby anxiety waves without the drama of a "real" panic attack. (Those things are horrible.)