How are anxiety and phobias related?

I think the way our mind works is that we take all the things that we are scared of, or don't undestand, and throw them all in a box in our head. We put a label on that "box", and that label is usually a phobia. That way, we can deal with all those (supressed) things through the phobia. The phobia allows (or forces) us to avoid all the things that are in that "box". This is what psychoanalysis is about, I think, to open that box, and deal with whatever we can if we are to overcome the phobia. But, of course, that line of therapy isn't called "psychoanalysis" anymore .. more like cognitive/behavorial therapy. But yes, the "box' being there, like a piece of sand in an oyster, is an irritant, and we perceive it as anxiety.

I believe that phobias cause anxiety often. For example, if one might see a spider and they have a phobia, that will cause then a huge deal of anxiety!

Phobia Symptoms Each person's symptoms are a little bit different. However, at least some of the following symptoms will be present during a phobic reaction: •Dizziness, rapid heartbeat, trembling, or other uncontrollable physical response •Sensation of terror, dread or panic •Preoccupation of thoughts; inability to change focus from the feared situation •Intense desire to flee the situation Types of Phobia The American Psychiatric Association divides phobias into three major types: Specific Phobia A specific phobia is a phobia of a specified object or situation. If the feared object or situation is common, a specific phobia may become life-limiting. Specific phobias can be divided into four major categories (plus an "other" category): • Animals: Dogs, spiders, snakes, birds, etc. • Medical: Blood, doctors, dentists, needles, or other medical objects • Natural Environment: Storms, water, or other natural objects • Situational: Heights, driving, elevators, cooking or other specific situations

Anxiety and phobias are related because when somebody has a phobia of something it will bring up feelings of anxiety when faced with it. For example if a person has a phobia of spiders, if they see one it is likely they will feel anxious.

they both make you feel uncomfortable in situations where the phobia could be mentioned and they both could lead to panic attacks.

Anxiety and phobias (fears) are related in that they cause very similar feelings, but from different sources. Fears stem from things that can harm a person: lions, tigers, bears, a dangerous person, etc. If you are face-to-face with a bear it would be expected you would feel afraid. Phobias are related to this because they prevent people from being involved in situations where the things they are fearful of may be present. For example, if someone has globaphobia (fear of balloons) they are likely to avoid going to birthday parties, holiday parties, and festivals because there are likely to be balloons present. That being said, the person is usually not afraid or fearful of balloons when they are out with their friends or sitting at home watching movies. Fears and phobias are context-specific. Some phobias are more common than others (fear of spiders or arachnaphobia, fear of open spaces/not being able to run from a threat or agoraphobia, and fear of closed/tight spaces or claustrophobia), whereas fears such as triskadekaphobia (fear of the number 13) are relatively uncommon and are believed to be irrational. Anxiety evokes many of the same feelings as fears and phobias do; the defining feature of anxiety is that the fear is present in the absence of external stimuli. For example, if you are experiencing fear like you would when you are face-to-face with a bear, but you are sitting at home on the couch, this is likely anxiety. At home there is no threat, there is little to no chance of a bear meeting you in your living room. Even though there is no threat you still feel afraid. This is anxiety. Fear and phobias are a normal part of the human body and human mind. Anxieties, on the other hand, can be disabling and debilitating. If you are experiencing anxiety it is important to talk to someone so that you can work through it.

Well, phobias cause people to freak out. When you have anxiety, you usually freak out as well. They go hand in hand.

Phobias generally cause anxiety for the person dealing with one when they're put in a situation that frightens them.

I believe they correlate with each other so much that they depend on each other somehow. You won't simply see a person who's claustrophobic in a closed setting without seeing him freaking out! And sometimes when you're anxious about something you're afraid of the "unknown", yet not too much, or else it's a phobia.

A phobia can cause anxiety. Having a phobia means that you are scared and highly anxious about that particular thing. The anxiety you feel, for example you might start swetting, you shake, you feel like you are going to pass out is due to the phobia. What causes a phobia can be bad experience with that particular thing. For example if you experienced alot of anxiety and fear because you were bitten by a spider so now whenever you see a spider you remember the incident and you get sared/anxious. It has developed into a phobia and you can't be around spiders without feeling anxious.