Difference between anxiety and fear?

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animalcrackers
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20 Apr 2014, 1:24 pm

What is the difference between anxiety and fear? Is there a difference?

Sometimes people seem to talk about anxiety and fear as if they were 2 different things....That could just be me not understanding them, but if there is a difference, can anybody try to explain it to me?


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khaoz
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20 Apr 2014, 3:15 pm

maybe look at anxiety as an extreme level of being constantly on edge, nervous with having nothing to do with fear. I am severely anxious in situations which present no threat or danger. Being in a group of people and being the focus of attention makes me extremely anxious, but I do not have any feeling that anyone is going to harm me physically. So it is not fear based yet it is a form of apprehension. An ultra enhanced feeling of discomfort. I guess then that it is a kind of fear of things that are irrational to someone who does not have anxiety issues. People always say "its all in your head" well, yeah, that's the point. It's in my head but it affects every part of my body, even if it is invisible to someone who has never experienced it. I can "feel" as if every eyeball on the planet is scrutinizing every move I make, while at the same time the rational corner of my mind knows it isn't true. Problem is, at that moment in time, the "rational" corner of my mind is disabled. I have walked into a room of mental health people waiting to question me and know they are not going to harm me, yet I am literally paralyzed. Fear of the irrational is no less credible than fear of the rational. That probably makes no sense at all, but...



Geist
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21 Apr 2014, 11:11 am

Anxiety is usually learned, from a past experience. It takes time and effort to get through it.

Fear is 'normal' and healthy emotion.



sueinphilly
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21 Apr 2014, 11:29 am

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181681/

an extremely 'wordy' piece, but I found this interesting

"Anxiety is a generalized response to an unknown threat or internal conflict, whereas fear is focused on known external danger"



animalcrackers
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22 Apr 2014, 3:20 pm

Thanks for the explanations!

I still don't understand the difference, though.


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Dillogic
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22 Apr 2014, 5:22 pm

Anxiety is being afraid for no real reason.

Fear is due to a real reason.



animalcrackers
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22 Apr 2014, 5:39 pm

What is a real reason or an irrational vs. rational fear (I mean, there are obvious irrational ones but then there are ones that are probably debate-able)?


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Dillogic
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22 Apr 2014, 6:48 pm

They tend to use, likely and unlikely for these things.

Having a venomous snake slithering over you, which you know is venomous, is generally a good reason to be afraid. Rational.

Whereas being unable to look at one through a glass inclosure would be seen as irrational (hence, anxiety).



Dan_Undiagnosed
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24 Apr 2014, 8:27 am

In my experience anxiety is almost like a software package that just opens and runs in the brain without your say so before making you deathly afraid of something that you probably don't need to be. I've been afraid (to the point of panic attacks) that I was about to have a heart attack, that I was about to drop dead from an advanced stage cancer, that I was about to lose my mind and have a psychotic episode like one of my loved ones and end up in a psych ward like them and one time that I was about to lose control of my actions and hurt those I love and care about. These are the worst ones I've had and all turned out to be irrational and ridiculous whereas fear tends to be more reasonable. I might fear not doing well in my next exam but I would have an anxiety attack that I am going to fail all my exams in all my classes and have to drop out despite the fact that I've done okay with my studies so far. Fear is justified and easy to manage. Anxiety is irrational and comes when you least expect it like an unstoppable ninja. I have never feared anyone or anything like I have feared my own mind.