Palm,

I have a loved one with anxiety disorder and have run smack dab into this very issue. They can go places where strangers are because they do not worry about how a stranger will Judge them. They have a very difficult time going to events where they know people because those people will judge them and they care about that judgment.

Of course the judgment they fear is always a negative and never a positive. They simply freeze up at social gatherings.

A number of us with OC face what Brian calls "Situational" or short term disorders. This is almost always situational depression that is more often then not short term. I think there are other situational disorders and situational anxiety is probably among them. In short, your FIL is facing situational anxiety regarding how his loved ones and friends will judge his condition. To the outside observer it is an irrational fear, as you say, � these are the people that know him, love him, and accept him for who he is�. To someone with severe anxiety, these are the people they fear seeing the most.

I know how frustrated you are, the solution to your FIL�s unease is not something you can rationalize with logic. This is an emotional condition so try and recognize the fear aspect. It may help your perception in a sit down.

FYI: I have found that showing how frustrated you are with the fact that their fear is not logical is very upsetting to them as they see that fear as perfectly logical. Stay Calm.