maybe look at anxiety as an extreme level of being constantly on edge, nervous with having nothing to do with fear. I am severely anxious in situations which present no threat or danger. Being in a group of people and being the focus of attention makes me extremely anxious, but I do not have any feeling that anyone is going to harm me physically. So it is not fear based yet it is a form of apprehension. An ultra enhanced feeling of discomfort. I guess then that it is a kind of fear of things that are irrational to someone who does not have anxiety issues. People always say "its all in your head" well, yeah, that's the point. It's in my head but it affects every part of my body, even if it is invisible to someone who has never experienced it. I can "feel" as if every eyeball on the planet is scrutinizing every move I make, while at the same time the rational corner of my mind knows it isn't true. Problem is, at that moment in time, the "rational" corner of my mind is disabled. I have walked into a room of mental health people waiting to question me and know they are not going to harm me, yet I am literally paralyzed. Fear of the irrational is no less credible than fear of the rational. That probably makes no sense at all, but...