Even though we use the concepts of anxiety and fear with similar meanings in our daily lives, especially the definition of anxiety disorders and It is of great importance to understand the difference between them in terms of diagnosis. So what are the main differences between these two emotions?
What is fear?
Fear is an emotion that arises suddenly and manifests itself in the face of a concrete danger. The source of the danger is clear. For example, ’’ I am afraid of dogs’’. The danger that is the source of fear is concretely represented as “dog”. In other words, fear is actually a state in which our autonomic nervous system activates the “fight or flight” mechanism.
Apart from the cognitive part of fear, there are also physiological effects. Breathing and heart rate changes occur. Also, the digestive system slows down, our hands tremble, our pupils dilate and There are also physiological reactions, such as our body sweating.
What is Anxiety?
It is a more complex manifestation of feelings and thoughts that can be called much more unpleasant than fear. In anxiety, we cannot concretely specify what the danger is or where it is coming from. For example, worrying about the health of a loved one. The feeling of anxiety manifests itself more abstractly.
Although the fight-or-flight mechanism is not activated in anxiety, it is a reaction to the possibility of the expected reaction. Prepares the individual for a fight or flight response.
While the physiological reactions of anxiety are similar to those of fear, anxiety is also In addition, sleep problems and muscle tension also occur.
The Importance of the Degree of Anxiety
Although the feeling of anxiety always has a negative connotation for individuals, it can be motivating at times. Feeling mild to moderate anxiety can be valuable at times. For example, a young person’s anxiety about school success It makes them more focused on preparing for exams and contributes to an increase in learning performance.
Anxiety that manifests itself in a severe or chronic form, on the other hand, can have a negative impact on an individual’s social, educational and professional performance. It creates problems and causes disharmony. Therefore, the degree and persistence of anxiety It is important to know and be able to observe.
What are the Differences Between Anxiety and Fear?
Anxiety and fear are difficult to distinguish. However, the main differences can be distinguished between the tangibility and intangibility of the danger.
While fear is more of an immediate reaction, anxiety involves bodily and mental changes in response to future situations and dangers.
What are anxiety disorders and what are their types?
Anxiety disorders are a state of intense and unrealistic fear and anxiety that renders a person incapable. When this level of anxiety begins to persist in a severe and prolonged state, anxiety disorders can begin to be mentioned. A person may experience more than one anxiety disorder. Research has also shown that many people with anxiety disorders the person has also experienced depression, either concurrently or at some point in their lives (Brown & Barlow, 2001; Kessler, Berglund et al.)
There are different subtypes of anxiety disorders. These are: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Acute Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are differentiated into different types.
While the severity of anxiety symptoms in these different disorders may vary according to their intensity; fear/panic emotions also differ according to objects or situations.
REFERENCES
- Brown, T. A. & Barlow, D. H. (2001). Casebook in abnormal psychology (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/ Thomson Learning.
- Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset-distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch. Gen. Psychiat., 62, 593-602.