How do you know if you have a phobia?

I am a very nervous and fearful person, and I am scared of just about everything. I don't like bugs, heights, fire, oceans, tight spaces, and probably many more things I can't think of at the moment. How do I know if I actually have a phobia, or if I'm just scared of those things? I assume phobias are more extreme, but what does that look like concretely?

Dear fantome,

I don't know enough to be helpful to you with your serious question. Do you think a psychologist or psychiatrist might be able to provide you with an answer? I hope you find an answer!

Sincerely yours, Yao Wen

I looked it up and think this definition is interesting:

“Psychologists often make a distinction between fears and phobias. A fear is an emotional response to a real or perceived threat. A phobia is similar to a fear with one key difference: the anxiety they experience is so strong that it interferes with their quality of life and/or their ability to function.”

I used to be immensely afraid of lizards, so much that I would jump and shriek if one came near me. I don’t know where that would fit; fear or phobia by this definition. It wasn’t a real threat- totally harmless. And it didn’t hinder my life for more than a few seconds.

I agree with Tisha. A phobia is an intense fear that provokes on you the flight response. No other way out. You avoid the source of your fear at any cost.