Deb and Oniero,
thanks for the help and ideas ,msn acting up yest, I wrote out a massive replies and they got wiped

From what I can remember,
he is seeing a therapist and he says that helps alot,discussing things.i will have to ask him about his thoughts on a few things,he mentioned his anxiety was worse when he was meeting a girl he was interested in at work,so it could be through partnerships which is causing a large amount of problems,mars in the 7th seems a tricky position for the red planet?
we often look for energy from others with planets in the 7th ,with mars being here perhaps this could make someone slightly more prone to conflict,although maybe its conflict of another kind, as its conjunction mercury.could be a feeling that others are creating conflict for him,which acts out of balace for his emotional state?
Venus is the final depositor for alot of the planets. aside from Pluto,Sun and Merc.
Venus in taurus is usually a good place for this planet to be,although as you said before debs the later degrees of Taurus are often prone to some problems.
just seen that moon conjunction south node,that has to be important,will have to look into that more...
re:
the 8th house,yea thats a very intense house,fortunatly its towards the cusp of the 9th so this might take the edge of off the intensity a little one hopes? I'll ask whether he has any specific fears or intense thoughts.
I think You could be right on Neptune to Mars,through that house axis ,Sacrifice In one form or another could be a theme? One thing I do know is that this planetary combo can often make for a creative imagination which can get carried away at times,thats a problem I get with my Mars square Neptune.