A phobia is an irrational fear. People who suffer from them don't confuse them with being scared. It is very difficult indeed for them to face the object of that phobia.
They differ from ordinary fear, or being afraid, in that it's relatively easy to face rational fears. You should be afraid of many things -- it's your body's defence mechanism -- but you don't let the fear win!
Interesting
Didge says it's an "irrational " fear. Nothing really wrong with that definition, but I am more used to the word being used to categorize an "extreme" fear.
Sometimes we humans internally synergize "negative" experiences and our reactions sometimes are stronger than we would expect, and then we exhibit what might be described as a "phobic" type of reaction.
Just make sure that everyone is on the same page when you use the word "phobia."
There are hundreds of known phobias, but experts usually arrange them in three categories. Simple phobias focus on an object or a situation, such as insects, animals, flying, and being in closed spaces. Agoraphobia usually occurs in conjunction with panic attacks. The sufferer fears having a panic attack to the extent that he or she avoids all places and situations where previous attacks occurred. Social phobias are characterized by a fear of being embarrassed in public settings, such as speaking before an audience.
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