CogKnoSys

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Mental

Fear and Anxiety

Fear is the emotional response to a threat that is here now, while anxiety is the uneasy expectation of a threat that may come.

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The idea

Fear and anxiety are closely related emotions, but they point at different times. Fear is the emotional response to a threat that is present right now, such as a growling dog. Anxiety is the anticipation of a threat that might come in the future, such as worry before a big test. Anxiety often brings feelings of dread and an unpleasant sense of inner turmoil.

Both emotions change the body. In humans, fear is linked to faster breathing and heart rate, wider pupils and spikes in the stress hormone cortisol. It can also set off reactions such as the startle response, the fight-or-flight response and the freeze response. Anxiety often comes with tense muscles, restlessness, tiredness, nausea and trouble concentrating, and anxious people may pace back and forth.

These feelings have a purpose. Fear motivates people to avoid or reduce risks, and some people even enjoy it in thrilling experiences, such as horror films. Problems start when the feelings become too strong or last too long. People with an anxiety disorder feel anxiety excessively or persistently for around 6 months, or for shorter periods in children. Generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder are two examples. Treatments such as talk therapy can help many people manage these conditions.

Check yourself

Question 1 of 3

How is anxiety different from fear?

Pick one. The first pick counts.

Composition

what it's made of

  • Present threat — Fear is triggered by danger that is happening now, whether it is real or only perceived.
  • Expected threat — Anxiety is the dread of something bad that might happen later.
  • Body changes — Faster breathing and heart rate, wider pupils and higher cortisol levels.
  • Behaviors — Reactions such as startling, fighting, fleeing, freezing or avoiding situations that caused anxiety before.
  • Thoughts — Worry and rumination, which means going over the same troubling thoughts again and again.

Connection

how it relates

Under Emotions and Feelings

Related

  1. Sympathetic Nervous Systemstrength 70 of 100

    The sympathetic nervous system produces the racing heart and fast breathing that come with fear.

  2. Mindfulnessstrength 50 of 100

    Mindfulness practices are often used to help people notice anxious thoughts and calm their bodies.

Cause and effect

  1. Adrenaline Releasestrength 60 of 100

    A sudden fright triggers the release of adrenaline, which prepares the body to face danger.

Change

how and why it evolves

Past
Fear reactions are much older than humans. The same body and behavior changes are used to identify fear in other animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In psychology, the study of how fears are learned began with John B. Watson's Little Albert experiment in 1920.
Now
Brain research now suggests that the brain systems linked to fear are fully woven into the flexible thinking systems that help animals respond to complex situations.
Next
Future research may give doctors better ways to tell everyday worry apart from anxiety disorders and to help the people who have them.

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea, then step up, across or down.

Fear and Anxiety

Fear is the emotional response to a threat that is here now, while anxiety is the uneasy expectation of a threat that may come.

Learn, discuss, create, buy or invest

The idea

Fear and anxiety are closely related emotions, but they point at different times. Fear is the emotional response to a threat that is present right now, such as a growling dog. Anxiety is the anticipation of a threat that might come in the future, such as worry before a big test. Anxiety often brings feelings of dread and an unpleasant sense of inner turmoil.

Both emotions change the body. In humans, fear is linked to faster breathing and heart rate, wider pupils and spikes in the stress hormone cortisol. It can also set off reactions such as the startle response, the fight-or-flight response and the freeze response. Anxiety often comes with tense muscles, restlessness, tiredness, nausea and trouble concentrating, and anxious people may pace back and forth.

These feelings have a purpose. Fear motivates people to avoid or reduce risks, and some people even enjoy it in thrilling experiences, such as horror films. Problems start when the feelings become too strong or last too long. People with an anxiety disorder feel anxiety excessively or persistently for around 6 months, or for shorter periods in children. Generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder are two examples. Treatments such as talk therapy can help many people manage these conditions.

Check yourself

3 quick questions, instant feedback.