Many people use the words fear and phobia as substitutes. These words are not synonyms and they don’t describe the same condition. It’s important to know the difference between fear and phobia, because it shows us what we’re up against. Being afraid is normal while having a phobia is pathological.

1. 3 Differences Between Fear and Phobia
http://anxietydisordersymptom.com/3-differences-between-fear-and-phobia
Many people use the words fear and phobia as substitutes. These words are not
synonyms and they don’t describe the same condition. It’s important to know
the difference between fear and phobia, because it shows us what we’re up
against. Being afraid is normal while having a phobia is pathological. Here are
the 3 main differences:
#1 The Intensity:
Fear is actually normal and when we experience it, we usually tend to avoid a
potential danger. That’s why this mechanism was passed on from generation to
generation. It played a significant role in our survival. It uses our own experience to
determine if a current situation is dangerous or not. But as a sensation, fear is not
that intense. Remember that the only purpose of fear is to signal a potential danger,
not to “paralyze” us.
On the other hand, phobia has a “crippling” effect on us. When we are face to face
with our worst phobic stimulus, we feel like our blood freezes. Everything seems
unreal and our entire attention is focused on whatever is causing the phobia. It’s a
very unpleasant sensation. You feel like you want to run but at the same time you
feel like you can’t. Please note that I constantly used the phrase you feel like. That’s
because everything happens in your head. You phobia is a result of your own
irrational thoughts.

2. #2 The Source:
When it comes to fear, the source is a potential risky situation. For example, if you
decide to walk on the edge of the rooftop, there’s always a chance to fall. It’s
absolutely normal be afraid, because rationally speaking, you can fall and suffer a
serious injury or worst. As you can see, the source of fear resides in a healthy and
rational judgement.
The source of phobia is a distorted and irrational way of thinking and perceiving a
certain object. Let’s get back to our previous example. If you’re just sitting on the
roof, at a safe distance from the edge, there’s basically no reason to be afraid. And
yet, you feel like the whole world collapses around you. Maybe you don’t even have
to be on the roof. The mere thought of sitting on the roof gives you shivers. As I said
earlier, the entire mechanism of a phobia is orchestrated inside your head
#3 The Reaction:
In case of fear the most common reaction is avoidance. You simply decide to escape
the potentially dangerous situation by stepping back or going around. Actually,
there’s not much to say about how people react when they’re scared. It’s a perfectly
normal and natural reaction.
If you’re dealing with a phobia, your reactions are much more complex. As I
mentioned earlier, you can simply freeze in the face of whatever causes the phobia
or you can have a totally opposite reaction. Some people get extremely agitated.
Their mind is overwhelmed with thoughts and images related to the phobic
stimulus, which translates into a chaotic behaviour. Simply put, you brain gets
disorganized, and so do you.
Fear is what protects us from danger and it’s healthy, up to a point. It transforms
into our worst enemy, when it becomes dysfunctional. This happens when we let
our irrational thoughts to dominate over our mind. Phobias have absolutely
nothing to do with danger (at least not a real danger).
Knowing the difference between fear and phobia means separating rational from
irrational. It’s the key step to a healthy mind, by keeping your thoughts in check
ORIGINAL SOURCE: http://anxietydisordersymptom.com/3-differences-between-
fear-and-phobia