The Difference Between Fear & Anxiety

Fear and anxiety can feel similar at times, but they’re actually triggered by different things. Learn about how our bodies process fear and anxiety below.

Fear is triggered by our five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), our fear responses happen automatically which is why we can’t control our emotions, only how we react to them. For example, when you hear an odd noise in your house, you may jump with fear from the unexpected. Fear is an automatic emotion that helps our conscious be vigilant about our safety.

Anxiety is a reaction to fear (or other emotion). According to NAMI, anxiety can be confusing to our bodies because we can feel anxiety from something in the past and present, which can influence our actions. For example, when you go to investigate an odd noise in your home, you may feel anxious as you locate where the noise came from because you’ve had a burglar experience before.

Fear and anxiety can be confused with one another because of how our bodies react. For example, you may sweat, tremble or have a rapid heartbeat when you’re experiencing fear. But, when you’re experiencing anxiety, your body could be pushed further than those emotions by having issues with sleeping, your gastrointestinal tract or attention span.

Being informed about emotions – like fear and anxiety – can help you understand your body. Knowing about your emotional health is just as important as your physical health because you can understand why your body reacts the way it does. If your emotions become difficult to deal with, contact Mercy EAP at (319) 398-6575 to schedule an appointment.

Photo: ©iStock.com/Doucefleur