Dude, I realize that I am hardly in any position to be advising anyone on this board.
However, I do feel as though I am a few steps ahead of the newcomers here and those still suffering severe approach anxiety.
So, with that disclaimer, I'll make a brief comment.
Its been said 100 times, if not a million times. The only way to get over AA is to approach and suck it up. Look like a fool. Win or lose, you WILL lose that fear.
I came through high school, relatively popular, hung out with some of tthe cool group and some of the nerds, and the football players (I was one too), but NEVER had a girl.
I was soo reserved in that regard, I could not even tell my best friends that I liked a particular girl. I never made, "she's hot" comments. Its RIDICULOUS how I was.
Well, that got better early in college, but still couldn't approach, because I DIDN'T approach.
Just in the last, maybe 4 months, I've done probably only a solid half dozen approaches and I'm already nearly over the anxiety.
I have gotten a few numbers, only one direct shoot down, and I actually felt amused by that at the time. Certainly didn't bother me.
Nothing has come of it yet, but, it doesn't matter, I had to walk before running and I had to approach and ask, before I had a chance at a number and maybe a date. I'm pushing through it.
I talked to an AMAZINGLY beautiful woman yesterday at the mall. Works in cosmetics, but she was not at her station. It was near closing. She told me she had been modeling since she was 12, and did so in NY for 2 years, so you can imagine the level of hotness here.
I was able to just walk right up, have great talk, had her dying laughing. But she has a bf, which isn't surprising so I didn't get anywhere, but the effort felt good.
I approached her, by, spotting her ahead of me, she was standing outside a counter area. I walked up and just said, So, all i've discovered tonight is that the mens dept is NOT upstairs, and all I have to show for my effort is a shiny thumb nail thanks to the israelie at the dead sea magic polish kiosk.
She started laughing, and a great convo ensued.
APPROACH and CONQUOR!!! Its THE only way. Practice makes the butterflies leave. Be a man and show your sexuality. Pick your quote or cliche and repeat it over and over until you believe it.