Personality is formed in early childhood and is unchanging like a computerchip. It remains the same during the rest of your adult life. In neurological terms your brain reacts differently to certain situations because of genetics or circumstances in early childhood it has been programmed to react in this different way.

A phobia is an emotion. When I got diagnosed with avoidant pd, I could - in retrospect - understand a lot of my childhood memories a lot better. Why I was like that and that as a kid, etc. Not only traumatic memories, but memories wherein I was different from others. Same goes for my youth and early adulthood. The traits have always been there.

I think a phobia is much more an emotion than a pattern that is present in almost everything you do. A sociophobic experiences a violent panic attack, an intense emotion that takes over when you are faced with social interaction. It's a strong emotion that is restricted in time however. It comes and goes (usually when the situation is over). A personality disorder is more like a behaviour pattern based on personality (I would almost use the word lifestyle but it seems out of place as disorders are most of the time crippling your lifestyle more than helping it).

I want to prevent people from interpreting me as one is more severe than the other. I'm sure both are very unpleasant. But I think they are seperate things.