A 25-year-old man presents with a fear of public speaking. He avoids situations where he might have to speak in front of others and feels intense distress when he cannot avoid it. His symptoms have been present for the past year and interfere with his work. What could be the potential diagnosis?
The patient's intense fear of public speaking, avoidance behavior, and functional impairment are suggestive of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia. SAD is characterized by a significant fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the individual fears they might behave in a way that will be humiliating or embarrassing.