Fear vs. Phobia
Feeling scared of something dangerous. (Fear or Phobia?)
Fear
A thought like: "something bad will happen" or "I'm going to fall and hurt myself" after you are initially scared that may make the fear even stronger.
Fearful thought
Fear of social situations or being judged by others. (Social, Specific, or Agoraphobia?)
Social phobia
Taking slow, deep breaths can be helpful in fearful situations why?
Can help you re-center, refocus, concentrate, calm down, etc.
True or False: Phobias are often times the result of trauma or bad experiences.
True.
A very strong fear that is not realistic or relevant to a situation. (Fear or Phobia?)
Phobia
Anxious/Fearful feelings (fearful thoughts cause signs of anxiety in the body)
Fear of olives. (Social, Specific, or Agoraphobia?)
Specific phobia
Focusing on what you see, hear, and feel around you.
Grounding technique
True or False: It is important to take small steps to face your fears.
True
Situation: Being scared when a large, threatening dog is growling towards you. (Fear or Phobia?)
Fear (it is normal to be afraid of something that threatens your safety)
Feeling better for a SHORT time after avoiding the fear.
Short-term relief
Fear of being seen as cringey or embarrassing yourself in front others. (Social, Specific, or Agoraphobia?)
Social phobia
How can you "face" a fear?
- stay in the scary situation a little longer instead of leaving right away
- exposure yourself to the fear
- practice coping skills while in the situation
True or False: Avoiding your fear can STOP the fear cycle from continuing or repeating.
False (the more you avoid your fear, the worse your fear may become.)
Being extremely afraid of a cat when you know it can't come near you or harm you. (Fear or Phobia?)
Phobia (the cat is not threatening harm to you)
The event, situation, memory, object, etc. that STARTS the fear.
Trigger
Fear of being in public or places where escape feels hard or impossible. (Social, Specific, or Agoraphobia?)
Agoraphobia (key phrase, escape feels hard)
What types of support can help you cope with fears?
- Talking to support system (trusted friend, therapist, sponsor)
- Personal coping skills
- Therapy
True or False: Fear is a completely natural and rational reaction to a scary trigger, while a phobia is almost never rational or natural.
True
True or False: Fear can sometimes help us keep safe.
True (Fight/Flight/Freeze response)
Leaving a place or staying away in order to escape fear.
Avoidance OR safety behaviors
Fear of dogs, spiders, or heights. (Social, Specific, or Agoraphobia?)
Specific phobia
Therapy that slowly exposes someone to their fear.
Exposure therapy
True or False: Phobias are NOT an anxiety-related disorder.
False (fear and phobias are trauma-induced anxiety disorders.)