Every so often, people can end up feeling more than just a light touch of performance or social anxiety. This is perfectly natural for us, because being put into situations where we feel we have little to no control at all is one of those things that kicks in our fight-or-flight response. However, this is only acceptable to a certain degree, as there are situations where people are expected to behave normally, even when faced with a little apprehension. One of these situations is when people are around others, such as social gatherings and business meetings. For people that avoid all forms of social contact, the problem may be less a case of social anxiety and more a case of avoidant personality disorder.
APD is one of those mental health concerns that are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, but can wreak tremendous havoc on relationships both personal and professional. They tend to be presented as loners, shunning most forms of social contact with others unless they feel that they have absolutely no other choice. This can potentially lead them into dangerous situations if they do not exercise caution, or if the APD is mixed with some other personality...