I'm hesitating in responding to this. I don't have social phobia, but I DID date a man with Social Phobia. The only problem was that neither of us knew that was the what he had. It was several years ago. He drank a lot, which is what thru our relationship over the edge. (had an alcoholic Dad. Wasn't going thru that again). But.....his true self came out behind closed doors. And he was incredible! What he couldn't say in casual conversation came out loud and clear in passion. If I had only known what he was going thru. The alcohol would still be a problem, but the social phobia I could have understood and attempted to help.
My point is that it might be helpful to be more open with this disorder, illness, whatever you want to call it. I thought he was quiet because he was mad at me! I couldn't understand what I was doing that mad him mad all the time. He would never talk to me. If he had said he had Social Phobia, I would have looked it up, and understood much more than I did when we split. He would have been very much worth the effort.
I saw him years later and the alcohol had ravaged his body. It broke my heart.
