I had a great bull mastiff and he intimidated most ( he was a rescue... now i have a st. bernard!). I am not afraid of dogs but some you have to show authority to right off the bat because if they sense on little bit of fear they are more likely to bite.
My dog never bit anyone but the teenagers on the 4-wheeler came close. You don't terrorize a dog bigger then you are!!

In all seriousness, my parents were coming for a visit and my mom is very afraid of big dogs due to a bite on her *ss also. My mom and my dog became best buds but I had to introduce them and make sure things were ok. Once my mom wasn't afraid anymore.

I hope you feel better.
Tina