People
who suffer from Social Phobia (SP) experience marked and distressing anxiety
when they must interact with other people. When not called upon to be with other
people these patients experience little or no anxiety. When with people, however,
the anxiety people with SP suffer often causes them to appear awkward or even
to have difficulty speaking. This, unfortunately, fulfills the worst fears of the person with social
phobia, and further reinforces the fear of social interaction. People
with marked SP sometimes cannot leave their home or keep a job. They sometimes
develop secondary panic attacks.
