It’s normal for people to experience fear. Fear is a basic human emotion. We all experience fear from time to time. But when people start describing their fears, they might be talking about a phobia.

Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder characterized by intense and irrational fear. Specific phobias are the most commonly occurring anxiety disorder. According to the NIMH, approximately 12.5% of the US population reports having at least one specific phobia in their lifetime.

In this article, we’ll explain what is fear, what is a phobia, and share examples of each. Continue reading if you want to learn more about the differences between fears and phobias.

What is fear?

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines fear as “a basic, intense emotion aroused by the detection of imminent threat, involving an immediate alarm reaction that mobilizes the organism by triggering a set of physiological changes.”

Fear is the appropriate reaction when faced with a life-threatening dangerous situation or imminent threat to our safety. Alongside fear in these situations, the fight-or-flight response is triggered. The fight-or-flight response is the life-saving mechanism that prepares us to fight or flee from the threat, thus ensuring our safety.

Fear is considered an appropriate short-term response to a present, clearly identifiable threat to our safety. Therefore fear is helpful and necessary to our survival when we’re faced with danger. Some examples of an appropriate fear response include seeking cover in a severe storm or running away from a dangerous wild animal.

What are phobias?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a “specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. Although adults with phobias may realize that these fears are irrational, even thinking about facing the feared object or situation brings on severe anxiety symptoms.”

Five symptoms you may experience if you have phobia are:

Intense fear and anxiety when faced with your phobia
Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or chest pain
Going out of your way to avoid your phobia
Feeling like you need to escape
Frequent and intense worry about your phobia

Phobias typically fall into a few different categories including animals (spiders), natural environment (heights), situations (enclosed spaces), and blood-injection-injury phobias (needles). Some common and well-known phobias include Arachnophobia (Fear of spiders), Ophidiophobia (Fear of snakes), and Acrophobia (Fear of heights).

How are fears and phobias different?

Fear is a normal emotional reaction. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder.
Fear is life-saving. Phobias can be disruptive to your life.
Fear is the response to danger. Phobias cause a fear response even when you’re not in danger.
Fear usually goes away when you’re no longer in danger. Phobias persist.
Fear goes away on its own. Phobias usually require therapy to get better.

Are there similarities between fears and phobias?

Fear and phobias are different in many ways. However, some similarities and overlaps between fears and phobias do exist.

When fear is triggered by a dangerous situation, the fight-or-flight response will start in your body. This causes a host of physical changes in your body that are preparing you to fight or run away from danger. The fight-or-flight response also gets triggered when there is no actual danger, but just a perceived threat. This is what leads people who experience phobias to have intense anxiety and panic attacks.

In the case of fear, there’s a real danger that triggers the fight-or-flight response. When you have a phobia it’s triggered by a perceived threat. Similarly, when you have a phobia, you’re likely to experience fear that is intense, irrational, and persistent. However, you can also experience fear without having a phobia.

How do I cope with fear?

If you are experiencing fear because you’re in a dangerous situation, then you’ll need to take action to stay safe. Some things you might do in a dangerous situation to stay safe include:

Leave, escape, or run
Avoid going back
Fighting or defending yourself

It’s important to trust your instincts and listen to the fear response that’s trying to keep you safe in a dangerous situation.

Where can I get help for phobias?

If you think what you’re experiencing is more than just fear in dangerous situations, understanding if you have a phobia might help. A mental health therapist can evaluate if what you’re experiencing is fear, anxiety, or a phobia. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder that is very treatable.

Working with a mental health therapist to learn how to face your fears and phobias is the best way to get relief. Common treatments for phobias include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy. Learn more about therapy for phobias here.

Summary

While fear is a basic, rational reaction to real danger, phobias are intense, irrational fears that can severely disrupt daily activities and persist without an actual threat. Phobias are characterized by intense and irrational fear and a strong desire to avoid the feared object or situation, even in the absence of real danger.

Fears and phobias differ in many ways. Most importantly fear is life-saving and is crucial to surviving dangerous situations. While phobias can be very disruptive to your life and tend to persist without treatment.

If you find that your fear is irrational and persistent, it might be beneficial to see a mental health therapist. A therapist can help to diagnose and explain if you’re experiencing fear, anxiety, or phobias. CBT and Exposure Therapy are the best treatments to help you get relief and overcome your phobias.

These are the Differences Between Fears and Phobias