Brat - I completely understand! I too was super career woman until the market dropped. For 10 years I was in biz development plus another 5 years of marketing and IT. Then the bottom dropped out and I had to start on the bottom of the pile again. I had never bothered with a degree because I had always found great paying jobs without it. I couldn't do that anymore and bit the bullet and started last year back to college to finish. I have two more years to go and its overwhelming, but I have to do it.
Funny thing though, after writing ad copy, techical help for software, speaches for CEO's of large companies, and even legal business documents, I was just told by my new boss (in government...) that "now that you are in college you will be able to put together a good sentence for this budget report." Really? wow - how condesending and rude. And he actually thought that was a compliment. AND oh yeah, I'm older than he is punk.
So facing fears - you have to do them forever, they won't stop. But when we come out on the other side stronger - we can say "HA!!! Take that!" and it feels really good.