How do you define a phobia? The difference between a fear and a phobia?

LiteraryLark · Feb 16, 2012 at 01:48 PM

Is there a level of intensity you have to feel for that phobia, or does your fear have to be crippling to be called a phobia?

Like death or spiders, most people are afraid of death and spiders, but is it really called a phobia or is it just a fear?

Or what about people who are afraid of numbers, is it a phobia because most people are not generally afraid of numbers?

What about people who are afraid of sharks, despite that they will likely never put themselves in a situation where they are near sharks, is that a fear or a phobia?

I'm afraid of germs, it's irrational (in my head it's not) but I avoid certain things like touching garbage cans (I haven't taken out the trash in over 7 years) and I wash my hands frequently. Is that a phobia or a fear?

Phoboxyl · Feb 16, 2012 at 10:53 PM

Hey there, that is called mysophobia(germophobia) in fact. In my judgement, a phobia is an unusual anxiety which is pervasive, persistent, and causes you to avoid situations that most people are able to engage in.

It is pervasive because it happens every time the situation occurs, it is persistent because it does not go away and reliably continues once it first begins, and it causes you avoidance because the fear is so great that a reasonable person would not be expected to endure it.

So, if you begin to panic, you experience dread, intense depression and powerful anxiety, or other phobic types of reactions when thinking about the fear or engaging it, then it is definitely a phobia and needs to be treated.

The only way to treat a simple phobia (as this sort is called), is to face it. Exposure will eventually reduce the anxiety until it completely disappears. You should read up on this or discuss it with your Psych.

Good luck!

lancetrot · Feb 17, 2012 at 04:26 AM

Fear is a pattern and healthy part of life. Fear plays an significant role in preventing us from harmful situations and serving us in deciding when to get out of situations which are not inevitably the best.
On the other hand when you've a phobia, you are likely to build up a fear of fear itself. You may start out to worry that something will occur to trigger your fear. You may start to alter your daily routine in an attempt to obviate any possible triggers. Whenever you see that you have an upcoming face-off with the object of your fear, you will likely dwell on it, maybe compulsively. You may have difficulty in sleeping or focusing on important tasks, especially as the day of confrontation gets closer.

Woundedheart1 · Feb 18, 2012 at 08:52 PM

I'm afraid of things then u have OCD with others like numbers. I'm terrified of spiders and snakes but I have a true clausterphopia. I cannot be in tight spaces. Even elevators freak me out. I have panic attack in them. I guess that's how I differentiate between them.

LiteraryLark · Feb 20, 2012 at 12:41 AM

No, I don't have OCD, just a few miscellanious characteristics of it.

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How do you define a phobia? The difference between a fear and a phobia?

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LiteraryLark Crowned "The Good Witch" Member Since Jun 2009 Location: Wonderland Posts: 11,535 (SuperPoster!) 14 1,318 hugs given	Feb 20, 2012 at 12:41 AM #5 No, I don't have OCD, just a few miscellanious characteristics of it.
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