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 SP, 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.
