In my experience, TONS of people have some degree of math anxiety. A local community college used to have a special math class just for people who suffered from math anxiety. So you are not alone.
I googled the phrase "math anxiety" and got a lot of helpful-looking hits. A few:
http://platonicrealms.com/minitexts/Coping-With-Math-Anxiety This one is rather long, and the tips are in the last page. But I think it's worth reading the whole thing.
http://www.counseling.txstate.edu/resources/shoverview/bro/math.htmlhttp://math.about.com/od/reference/a/anxiety.htmhttp://www.math.com/students/advice/anxiety.htmlHere are some strategies that helped me when I was a math major:
1) Always, always, ALWAYS preread. If you know that the instructor is going to cover section 1.3 on Wednesday, read it carefully and slowly IN ADVANCE--as many times as you need to--and follow the examples (and proofs if there are any). Write notes in the margins if you are allowed; use sticky notes if you aren't; take your own notes in a reading notebook. I found it helpful to go through an example until I thought I understood it, then write down JUST the problem on a piece of paper, then take a break. When I came back, I closed the book and tried to work the problem myself.
2) If your instructor allows it, form a study group.
3) See the instructor during lunch or after school if he or she is available, or (if you are in college), go to office hours.
4) Get help from a tutor. Many high schools have peer tutors after school, and any decent college has a tutoring center.
5) Do positive self-talk. Many super-smart people freak out over math. And DO NOT say to yourself, "I'm not stupid." Say, "I am smart, but I'm anxious" or "I am smart, but I haven't learned how to do this very well yet" or "This just takes a lot of time and practice, and I'm up for it."
6) I read a short bio of a female mathematician who said that when she was in college, she cried when she couldn't work the problems. But she persevered. It helped me to remember this.
7) On homeworks, do NOT be a slave to order. I used to get stuck on #11 and couldn't do #13 or anything past that until I finished #11. End result: Arch was sometimes stuck for hours. I was my own worst enemy.
8 ) Exams: For tests, learn some relaxation techniques. I would hold my breath or breathe shallowly; that's kind of not good for you. Slower, deeper breaths would have been better. (That space after the 8 is intentional, BTW. I kept getting an emoticon.)
9) Exams: Read the whole test before you do anything. You might find an easier problem later in the test. Start with easy.
10) Exams: If you memorized formulas, write them down first thing.
11) Exams: Writing your name, doodling, and doing a round or two of tic-tac-toe can be very soothing when you start a test.
