The Difference Between Fear and Anxiety
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The Difference Between Fear and Anxiety

Both fear and anxiety represent our biology's response to a threat or danger, triggering the body to prepare for either fight or flight. This instinctive reaction, known as the fight-or-flight response, manifests through significant physiological symptoms, including:

  • Muscle tension,
  • Increased heart rate,
  • Shortness of breath.

Although fear and anxiety evoke a similar stress response, they differ and are not interchangeable; however, they may coexist.

Fear:

Fear is an emotion elicited in response to a perceived, real, definite, and immediate threat. It is present-oriented. For instance, if a neighbor's aggressive dog chases you in their backyard or if a stranger attacks you with a knife, you are likely to experience a fear response.

Anxiety:

In contrast, anxiety is a response to an unknown or unrealistic threat. While fear typically relates to real threats in the present, anxiety arises from uncertainties. Following a dog bite incident in your neighbor's backyard, you may feel uneasy walking there alone. This uneasiness stems from the imagined possibility that the neighbor's aggressive dog might attack again.

It's essential to recognize that anxiety is rooted in possibilities and threats we envision. Failure to establish a healthy relationship with anxiety may prolong its presence, leading to frequent recurrences and chronic anxiety.

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