Do irrational fears exist?

How can we tell?  We need to know:

·         What an irrational fear is.

·         Fear, phobia or anxiety disorder?

·         Do they exist?

·         What happens if you have one.

·         What do I have?

What is an irrational fear?

A fear is when we are afraid of something specific.  We tend to say, “My fear is……”. Most of us have some sort of fears which are healthy and normal. What are your fears? I have a fear of falling over.

Irrational is the opposite of rational. So being rational means you can think things through logically and reasonably; being irrational means you do not. An irrational fear is when we are afraid of something despite the fact it is not dangerous and maybe not even going to be encountered.

Let’s break it down. Falling over is likely to hurt you so it makes perfect sense to try and avoid doing so. Analysing when my fear is more noticeable and causes me a problem, I notice this: I am mostly afraid of falling when in snow or ice, when walking in an area of rocky terrain or wearing high heels.  

Now you might say that most people would find these situations a perfectly reasonable time to worry about falling over, and you would be right, and like most people I wear appropriate footwear to prevent accidents and I do actually avoid high heels! By doing this I put myself in control, prepare myself for the situation and get on with it. I don’t get distressed about it, it doesn't stop me participating in anything and I can safely say this fear of falling is not an irrational fear.

So, fear, phobia or anxiety disorder?

Irrational fears are linked with phobias. Having a phobia means having an irrational fear towards something that results in going to great lengths to avoid something or completely breaking down when encountering what it is. If your fear is inhibiting you, if it is getting you so worked up you can’t bear thinking about it despite knowing it is not going to harm you, the chances are you have an irrational fear, or phobia. If like me you can control it and not let it take over your life, it is likely to just be a regular fear.  If your fear takes over your life to the point where you can’t think straight most of the time and you are changing your daily habits to avoid it, you are likely to have an anxiety disorder.  

So do they exist?

Yes we can safely say that irrational fears exist and are better known as phobias. Phobias can take many forms; to avoid them taking over your life completely it is worth thinking about how much it already has.

What happens if you have one.

Only you can decide how much it is affecting your life and the lives of those around you. Even a mild fear if not dealt with can develop into a fully blown phobia. In the case of a phobia where you are unlikely to be affected very often, you may never tackle it; choosing instead to never encounter it.  For phobias such as a fear of flying (sometimes known as aviophobia) this is easy! Don’t go on an aeroplane - ever! This only causes a problem when someone very dear to you wants to get married further away than a car or train journey will allow. Leaving it until then to tackle can often make the whole process far more stressful because of the time constraints. Most phobias are best fixed when there is no immediate threat or concern or when you are in a period of coping well with it.

What do I have?

Do this simple quiz to see if your irrational fear really does exist!