Well, Dave, it is good for you that you have decided to visit a doctor. It's possible that you are experiencing a kind of social phobia such as a neurotic disorder where a person becomes anxious in public situations like those you’ve described. There are some medications that doctors can prescribe to help anxiety disorders, but psycho-therapy has also shown success in treating social phobias. These therapies are often used alone or in combination. You can now seek proper help from a mental health professional in order to learn more and to start on the road toward diagnosis and treatment.