The individual feels a great deal of anxiety, humiliation, embarrassment or even panic in social settings. One can have either specific or generalized social phobia. The most common specific social phobia is the fear of speaking in public. Individuals with generalized social phobia are anxious in almost all interpersonal situations. If the individual is going to be judged or graded on his performance in a public situation, the fear is greatly increased.
Many people get a minor case of the jitters before performing in public.
For some, this mild anxiety actually enhances their performance. However, this anxious reaction is massively exaggerated in the individual with social phobia. While mild normal anxiety can actually enhance performance, excessive anxiety can severely impair performance. An anxious episode may be associated with some or all of the symptoms of a panic attack. These might include sweaty palms, palpitations, rapid breathing, tremulousness and a sense of impending doom.