Whether you tell other people or not does not matter. What matters is that you understand deeply that 'what you have' is actually nothing more than an elaborate fantasy your mind is telling you, you are simply reacting to it.
How can i possibly say this after years of phobia/anxiety panic attacks and so on and so on? How patronizing is that right? Wrong.
The point is this:
You apparently have 'this problem'. You have two choices, you either tell others or you do not. Now, because your mind has conditioned itself to believe in this nonsense there are two paths your mind takes.
1. You tell others - mixed reactions. Some get it, some don't. You may feel better like a weight has lifted or you might feel persecuted for having an 'illness'. Your anxiety gets worse or gets better. You still have this thing in your mind telling you that what others think about you is so important.
2 You do not tell others - you go it alone. Some get you, some don't. You may feel better for not telling others, you may feel persecuted for having an 'illness'. Your anxiety gets worse or gets better. You still have this thing in your mind telling you that what others think about you is so important.
The mind is extremely creative in weaving wonderful story lines in your imagination that literally create the world you live in and influencing your actions. Essentially if you tell others it doesn't mean you will be better off, it may actually stimulate 'What others think of me' in a more potent fashion or it may not. The same is true if you keep it to yourself.
Basically, you have to know it is there to be able to accept it but likewise the most important point is that you cease believing in it. Anxiety is not you. You have to see it's deceptive nature and hold it has over your mind making you believe a reality which you know is actually just make believe but having no idea how to stop making you feel this way.
In general it's good to tell certain people such as doctors, close friends and so forth so we feel we have support but it depends on our capacity and where we are at because either way our anxiety will still be lying to us in either situation. If it tell people, then what, if i don't then what? Now they know, what are they thinking and so on.
We shouldn't hide from our anxiety though, we should face it. Face it internally. You could tell the whole world about your phobia and anxiety yet not necessarily be facing it fully on the inside, you may still be under its spell. Contrastingly though, those who do tell others see that there is actually nothing to be afraid of, they see the illusion.
To summarize, it's what helps you best. The hard truth is this: It's your responsibility, a creation of your mind, only you can overcome it in your mind.
James