I have social anxiety disorder along with the bipolar, as do a number of others on the board. You need to handle anxiety carefully or it can develop into panic, and that is difficult to cope with for everyone. With my other I have spent a good deal of time practising better communication strategies, but I think most men could probably do with that...
As to whether or not they help...only at times.

My fear is my natural survival instinct kicking in usually. Something in the environment has triggered a fight/flight response. Once I can recognise what it was and that maybe that fear is not relevant in my current situation I am generally ok.

It does develop into a panic a certain point and he's never around to comfort me I just feel helpless. When it ends up happening I relapse into basically a child and just want to run and hide from the world :(

I also have social anxiety with my BP. I'm a lot better than I used to be. My ex husband was no help at all, that's one reason he's an ex now(amongst other things of course). I have worked with my tdoc for a long time to overcome my social anxiety, but I still have some fears. I don't like being in crowds of people usually, or at a place where I don't know anyone. I've gotten better with driving and shopping and the simpler things like that. I hope you can work it out with your boyfriend.

I have learned I can't be around my husband when anxiety is high. I have a few other friends though who help me, and of course I work on this mostly with my therapist. I think it of utmost importance to be in a relationship with someone supportive of your mental health realities and challenges. It's much too stressful otherwise.

could you try and get him to read about the condition and educate himself and then maybe just maybe he might be a little more understanding. or find an analogy relating to something that makes him feel bad, anxious, whatever and he might find some empathy. keep posting here anyway we all get it.