Difference Between Fear and Phobia
- • Fear is a normal human emotion triggered by threatening conditions. A phobia is an anxiety disorder.
- • A phobia is an irrational fear where the reaction of the sufferer in avoiding the said cause is grossly...
- • The reaction caused by fear can be managed. The reactions triggered by phobias are usually extreme and cannot be...
Is a fear and a phobia the same thing?
The first thing to note is the fact that ‘fear’ and ‘phobia’ are not the same things. They are two completely different things though they are similar and interconnected, using them interchangeably is still incorrect. Also see Anxiety Vs. Depression. Fear is a vital human physical and psychological response.
What are the top 10 worst phobias?
What Really Scares People: Top 10 Phobias
- Fear Factors. (Image credit: Stockxpert.) Whether you jump at the sight of a spider or work up a sweat at the mere mention of getting on an airplane, fears and ...
- The Dentist. ...
- Dogs. ...
- Frightful Flight. ...
- Thunder and Lightning. ...
- The Dark. ...
- Harrowing Heights. ...
- Other People. ...
- Scary Spaces. ...
- Creepy Crawlies. ...
What causes fears and phobias?
What Are the Underlying Causes behind Phobias?
- Trauma. Many specific phobias are due to childhood experience or trauma. ...
- Learned Reactions. Simple or specific phobias can be transferred from adults to children. ...
- Genetics or Environment. Complex phobias are divided into social phobias and agoraphobia. ...
- Illness or Injury. ...
What phobia is the fear of religion?
religiophobia (uncountable) A fear or hatred of religion, religious faith, religious people or religious organisations. Also, what is considered religious discrimination? Religious discrimination involves treating a person (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs.
Why is phobia called irrational fear?
Phobia is a response to something that is not a threat. This is why phobias are sometimes called irrational fears. The response is so intense it may interfere with your ability to function or perform daily tasks. Simply thinking about the feared item can trigger symptoms of anxiety.
How does a phobia affect your life?
How much the phobia affects your life is called an impairment , and this can range from mild to severe. If you have a phobia, you might develop a fear response even if you’re not face-to-face with the item. For example, if you have a phobia of crowds, just thinking about a crowd could trigger shaking or sweating.
Why is fear good?
A person can react fearfully to either a real threat or a perceived threat. Fear can be a good thing as it helps you avoid a potentially dangerous situation. You can develop fears of many things, including dogs or flying in an airplane.
How many people have phobias?
The stats are much higher for adolescents, with an estimated 19% experiencing phobias.
Can a phobia keep you from living your best life?
Don’t let a phobia keep you from living your best life. At Allied Psychiatry and Mental Health, we offer both adult and adolescent psychiatric services.
Is it easy to tell the difference between a fear and a phobia?
That said, it’s not always easy to know the difference between a fear and a phobia. In this blog, we uncover the differences to help you understand what you're experiencing so you can find relief.
Can phobias negatively affect your life?
Because a phobia can negatively impact your quality of life, Dr. Hadi Estakhri at Allied Psychiatry and Mental Health suggests you give us a call if you’re experiencing fears or anxious feelings. We offer evidence-based treatments to help you overcome your phobias. That said, it’s not always easy to know the difference between a fear and a phobia.
What is a phobia?
A phobia is a persistent intense and irrational fear. It can range from very annoying to paralyzing. Some synonyms that come to mind are revulsion, panic dread and/or terror. The intensity of the fear in a phobia is so strong, that one will go to great lengths to avoid it. One must have symptoms lasting at least 6 months. A phobia interferes with work, school and/or interpersonal relationships.
Is fear the same as phobia?
Fear is not the same as phobia. A fear is a congruent response to a mildly dangerous situation. Yet, once the feared situation is no longer a threat, the fear symptoms usually subside. A phobia, however, is in a class by itself.
What is the difference between phobia and fear?
On the other hand, a phobia is an excessive fear that is out of proportion to the actual situation. But how can you tell the difference between the two?
What sets phobias apart from fear?
What sets phobias apart from fear is that a person with a phobia may develop fear responses (shaking, sweating, etc.) even just thinking about their phobia. Because of this people with phobias will go out of their way to avoid whatever situation or object is the source of their fear.
How many people have phobias?
The fear and anxiety may be so intense that it interferes with your daily life. In America, 19 million people have phobias. According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, some of the most common phobias include:
What is a phobia in mental health?
Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder, and as such, they can impact the quality of your life. Here at Next Step 2 Mental Health, our compassionate providers excel at treating all types of anxiety disorders, including phobias. Phobias are highly personalized, and if you think you’re struggling with a phobia, we recommend that you give us a call.
When do phobias start?
Specific phobias are believed to originate in childhood, typically by age 7. It’s possible to develop other types of phobias later, though. Social phobia, for instance, may begin during the adolescent years, and agoraphobia usually begins in early twenties. Regardless of your age, if you think you’ve developed a phobia (or any type of anxiety disorder), don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
Can a phobia of dogs cause fear?
A phobia might cause those same feelings of fear even if the danger is not physically present. For example, a person with a phobia of dogs might feel that same psychological fear response watching videos of dogs, thinking about dogs, or looking at a puppy. These three situations do not present the same level of danger as the viscous dog, but to someone with a phobia, they respond as if it is. A person with a phobia of dogs might alter their daily routines to avoid passing houses where dogs live or to avoid driving past the dog park.
Is It Fear or Phobia?
One of the ways to tell the difference between fear and phobias is if there is a real and present danger. For example, it’s a normal human response to feel fearful if a vicious dog ran up toward a group of people. Adrenaline might kick in, triggering “flight or fight” mode. This is normal.
So What Is The Difference Between A Phobia And A Fear
Many of us have fears of one kind or another, such as fear of examinations, fear of speaking in public, etc.
How Do You Treat A Phobia
Cognitive behavioral therapy with exposure is the first-choice treatment for phobias. CBT helps you identify how your thoughts and feelings influence your actions. Youll also do repeated exposures related to your phobia to practice new ways of responding to fear.
Tip : Challenge Negative Thoughts About Your Phobia
When you have a phobia, you tend to overestimate how bad it will be if youre exposed to the situation you fear and underestimate your ability to cope. The anxious thoughts that trigger and fuel phobias are usually negative and unrealistic.
The Fear Is Out Of Proportion With The Risk
Obviously, you don’t want to be around something you’re scared of. But a phobia, unlike a fear, creates a disproportionate response.
Types Of Specific Phobias
A specific phobia is defined as an extreme, irrational fear or aversion to a particular thing or situation such as a thunderstorm or being in small, tight places, etc. The fear is so intense it interferes with the way you live.
Are You Suffering From Anxiety
Take our 2-minute anxiety quiz to see if you may benefit from further diagnosis and treatment.
What Is A Phobia
Almost everyone has an irrational fear or twoof spiders, for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are minor. But when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, theyre called phobias.
What To Do If You Have A Phobia Of Something
David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2021 But Geller and Gallagher said barriers created by this fear or phobia could be lowered with careful public health messaging, along with self-help techniques individuals can practice or, in severe cases, professional assistance from a therapist.
How Do Phobias Develop
We dont know exactly why phobias develop. Specific phobias tend to begin during childhood, likely because a child’s brain is still learning how to react to certain stimuli.
Kabourophobia And The Difference Between A Fear And A Phobia
Kabourophobia: Fear of crabs . From the Greek root kabouros, meaning crab, and phobos, meaning fear. Urban Dictionary
Can A Fear Of Something Turn Into A Phobia
But sometimes that normal fight-or-flight response can go a bit haywire, and thats when fear turns into a phobia. With a true phobia, the threat of injury or death is greatly exaggerated or even nonexistent, but the fear still persists, according to an article on Helpguide.org. Think of your own phobias, and youll see what I mean.
You Feel Unable To Cope
As is true with a lot of mental health conditions, if there comes a point that you feel like you can’t support yourself through the experience, you deserve to get help.
The Difference Between Phobia And Fear
Psychologists often make a distinction between fears and phobias. A fear is an emotional response to a real or perceived threat. Fears are common in the population and are often normal — or at least innocuous — reactions to objects or events.
Is It Fear Or Phobia
One of the ways to tell the difference between fear and phobias is if there is a real and present danger. For example, its a normal human response to feel fearful if a vicious dog ran up toward a group of people. Adrenaline might kick in, triggering flight or fight mode. This is normal.
A Detailed Guide to 4 Tried-and-True Methods
Ashley Olivine is a health psychologist and public health professional with over a decade of experience serving clients in the clinical setting and private practice.
Phobia vs. Fear
A phobia is more severe than a fear. More specifically, a phobia is an irrational fear that is out of proportion compared to the threat of what is feared. 2 There may be little threat, or even no threat at all, and the person could experience symptoms of anxiety. Fear, on the other hand, is an intense emotion in response to a threat in the moment.
Types of Phobias
There are different types of phobias. Specific phobia is an anxiety disorder that includes five types of phobias. 3 Social phobia is also an anxiety disorder, but it is not classified as one of the five specific phobias. 4
Signs You May Need to Overcome a Phobia
It is normal to have fears of anything that could be harmful. For example, it is natural and a good thing to be afraid of walking across a street without looking because you could otherwise get hit by a car.
Tips to Overcome a Phobia
It is possible to become desensitized to a phobia. This means that you can become less and less affected by the phobia over time with safe, controlled exposure. One way to do this is with a fear ladder, which involves exposure that is very small at first and then builds.
Treatment
In addition to techniques to overcome phobias, they can be treated with the help of a healthcare professional such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is the primary treatment option for phobias. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is commonly used.
Summary
A phobia is an extreme, irrational fear that is ongoing and can interfere with daily life or lead to anxiety symptoms. It may be a fear of a specific animal or insect, something in the environment, potential experience, social situation, or something else. There are techniques and treatments to overcome and cope with phobias.
What are the symptoms of a phobia?
Typical symptoms of phobias can include nausea, trembling, rapid heartbeat, feelings of unreality, and being preoccupied with the fear object. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) identifies three different categories of phobias: social phobias, agoraphobia, and specific phobias. 1 When people talk about having a phobia ...
How are phobias named?
These names themselves are often formed by taking a Greek prefix that represents the fear object and adding the -phobia suffix.
How many people have phobias?
Phobias are one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that 8% of U.S. adults have some type of phobia. Women are more likely to experience phobias than men.
What is the fear of being touched?
Androphobia - Fear of men. Anginophobia - Fear of angina or choking. Anthrophobia - Fear of flowers. Anthropophobia - Fear of people or society. Aphenphosmphobia - Fear of being touched. Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of peanut butter. Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders.
What is the fear of dark?
Achluophobia - Fear of darkness. Acrophobia - Fear of heights. Aerophobia - Fear of flying. Algophobia - Fear of pain. Agoraphobia - Fear of open spaces or crowds. Aichmophobia - Fear of needles or pointed objects. Amaxophobia - Fear of riding in a car. Androphobia - Fear of men.
What is the best medicine for phobias?
Medications your doctor might prescribe include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), beta-blockers, and anti-anxiety drugs.
Is phobia a serious illness?
Phobias can have a serious impact on well-being, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Phobias are common, but also treatable. 2 If you believe that you have the symptoms of some type of phobia, consult your doctor for further evaluation and treatment advice.
