Fear vs Phobia?

[JessicaVictoria]

Ok so one thing i've noticed is that alot of people don't seem to know the difference between a fear and a phobia. The amount of times friends have said to me 'Everybody is scared of somthing'. They may as well be say 'Just get over it'. I don't know if anybody else has noticed this but it's something that really annoys me!

[out_of_order]

I have noticed, even on this website some people seem to have a fear of vomiting but not a full-blown phobia.

[gumdropper1]

Read my Emetophobia FAQ to learn the difference. http://emetophobia.byethost15.com/emetophobia.html

[JessicaVictoria]

Trust me i know the difference! What i mean is other people who don't understand how hard a phobia is to deal with!

[AndyLau]

i completely agree, my friends always say that exact thing "everyone is scared of something" but im more than scared, i wash my hands before i touch anything, i always hate getting on the bus or anything and always wash my hands straight away after, and if any of my friends feels sick i always worry about me getting sick too so i have to try and avoid them, its really awful

[not_alone]

I think there are 3 catagories "dont like" I dont like frogs but I will walk along a canal or river bank. "Fear" I am genuinely scared of loud noises so I avoid football stadia and concerts (as well as groups of children). And "phobia" I would cut my arm off (under stated) rather than v*. But the one key thing is all 3 are based on anxiety at different levels, however the undertone is simple "harmless" anxiety (I`m not cured by any stretch but I am feeling positive about my future).

[H.B.]

Anyone that doesn't have a phobia wont understand how controlling it is!!!

[NicolaJane]

Okay, this might be a bit late of a reply I should've seen this last night because I was explaining it to my friend!
It really pisses me off when people don't understand! So many people say to me, I used to have that but I just realised if it's gonna happen it's gonna happen. How the frigg can they do that! If it's a real phobia then that's soo difficult to do

[ruhligv]

Phobias are all consuming and unless you really have one or know someone with one I don't think people understand. Like not alone said so perfectly, we would rather cut an arm off than v*! I used to feel that the only circumstance in life that would cause me to contemplate suicide was the flu! How sad is that?! But one of the things I hate most about my phobia is how selfish it makes me feel. I don't ask how a coworker is feeling because I care, I ask because I'm terrified. I won't see my sisters kids if they're ill. I'm always in self protect mode and worried about me. I hate that, idk how to stop!

[punchbuggy]

The only person i have ever know that fully understands me is my friend and coworker who has a severe phobia of all bugs. She understands me and i understand her. It is really frustrating when ppl say "omg me too ! I cry anytime i have to get sick" i think to my self ...ya right if only! So yes i do feel a lot of ppl do not understand phobia and fear. Its understandable tho bc not everyone suffers from phobias. I think i want to dissociate myself from the word phobia tho because i am working to get better now and i want to tell myself its just fear. I am determined to get past this.

[LivelyLucy]

There is a massive difference between fear and phobia and if you do have a phobia,its very easy to tell apart
I myself have a FEAR of needles,but i would face a needle if i had to,say if i really wanted another ear piercing or a medical injection
But obviously,I have a phobia of v* ,I sometimes panic if i feel nauseated and used to take aspirin/paracetomol all the time in school,Now I'm 18 and working in a office,my hygiene is immaculate and i carry hand sanitizer and avoid those with bugs that have v* as a symptom,I hate alcohol and would happily put off pregnancy,That is a phobia

It obvious,a fear is something you can face,where as a phobia is a very concerning mental anxiety related to trauma.