By Thain, on May 5th, 2013
Fears and phobias are not the same thing though they are used interchangeably for the same thing.
Fears are what we think of when we think fear; the uncomfortable feeling we get around a specific place, situation, animal etc…
Phobias are extreme fears that interrupt behavior. They generally cause panic and sometimes breakdowns. Take the example of arachnophobia or a debilitating fear of spiders is just that debilitating, not a simple uncomfortably when you are around them.