I wonder if having a label is part of it, @LeastComplicated. In the old days, one could be nervous before a test or shy when meeting new people. Some of that was considered fleeting or just one aspect of life. Now it’s a diagnosis. (Or a self-diagnosis.) And it sticks.
I think it’s important to get help to distinguish between what’s triggered by thoughts and events that could worry most people (the usual triggers, where we do need the fight or flight, to rise to a challenge or hunker down,) versus a low bar or a real fear that takes over everyday functioning. I don’t know if that sounds unsympathetic, I do understand anxiety is real and can be crippling.