Fears versus phobias

Many people have irrational or unexplained fears, and may think they are just that, a fear. However, sometimes it is not a fear as much as it is a phobia. Let's take a look at the difference between the two, and a look at some of the common phobias that plague Americans.

Fear is something we have probably all experiences at some point in time. We may have feared the dark as a child because we could not see what was out there. We may fear something specific because of a bad experience you had, such as dogs because you were bit as a kid. Fear protects you from danger.  It is a natural response that helps you avoid situations, places, and things that could put you in harm's way.

A phobia is having an intense fear, or irrational fear of something. Phobias have little to do with danger, and are usually do not make a lot of sense. However, despite the fact that phobias are usually irrational, more than 19 million Americans have a phobia. A phobia results in anxiety, fear, paralyzing terror, etc. that while possibly not warranted, exists none-the-less.

There are literally hundreds of phobias, and they all have been assigned their own names. There are basically three categories of phobias. The first is agoraphobia, a fear of public places; the second is social phobias which lead to avoidance of social situations; the third is specific phobia, which is when there is an irrational fear of something in particular, whether it is an object or a situation.

Let's tale a closer look at these categories and some of the phobias that exist within them.

Agoraphobia: The fear of public places. This phobia was named such because in ancient Greece, the public meeting place was referred to as the agora. The phobia consists less of the fear of the place as of the inability to escape the place. This is especially enhanced when the person is in a place that would be difficult to remove yourself from should something happen, such as if they are stuck in traffic on a bridge, or if they are in a long line. This type of phobia is more common among women, but is treatable with therapy. 90% of patients are able to overcome this phobia if they stick with the proposed treatment.

Social Phobia: This is a phobia that is more than just being shy, rather the person feels extremely anxious or nervous about being in social situations. This may be because they feel they have to perform a certain way, or they fear they will be judged. They worry that others will notice their anxiety, or think them inappropriate. So, they avoid social situations, which negatively impacts their ability to form relationships and friends.

Specific phobias: There are a number of specific fears that are irrational. Claustrophobia is probably the best known specific phobia, where people can't be in a room with closed doors or windows for fear of being trapped, suffocated, etc. Other specific phobias include zoophobia, a fear of animals, acrophobia, fear of heights, arachnophobia, fear of spiders, etc.