The Difference Between Anxiety vs. Fear

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnxiety vs. Fear: Key DifferencesSymptomsCausesTreatmentsHow to Cope

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Anxiety vs. Fear: Key Differences

Symptoms

Causes

Treatments

How to Cope

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While we often use anxiety and fear interchangeably, they are not the same thing. The two experiences are related and often share many of the same emotional and physical symptoms, but there are important differences that make them distinct—and understanding what makes them different can play an important part in how you deal with them.

Even though symptoms commonly overlap, a person’s experience with these emotions differs based on context. Fear relates to a known or understood threat, whereas anxiety follows from an unknown, expected, or poorly defined threat.

At a GlanceAnxiety and fear share much in common (and they often occur together). Fear tends to be shorter-lived and happens in response to a clear cause—like an environmental threat. Anxiety is often longer-lasting and can be more ambiguous. Knowing how to recognize the differences can help you get the right treatment.

At a Glance

Anxiety and fear share much in common (and they often occur together). Fear tends to be shorter-lived and happens in response to a clear cause—like an environmental threat. Anxiety is often longer-lasting and can be more ambiguous. Knowing how to recognize the differences can help you get the right treatment.

Anxiety vs. Fear: How to Tell the Difference

Fear and anxiety both produce a similar stress response. However, many experts believe that there are essential differences between the two. These differences can account for how we react to various environmental stressors.

Muscle tension, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath mark the most significant physiological symptoms associated with a response to danger.

These bodily changes result from our inbornfight-or-flight stress responsecritical to survival. Without this stress response, our mind wouldn’t receive the alerting danger signal and our bodies would be unable to prepare to flee or stay and battle when faced with danger.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a diffuse, unpleasant, vague sense of apprehension.It’s often a response to an imprecise or unknown threat such as the uneasiness you might feel walking down a dark street alone.

What Is Fear?

Fear is an emotional response to a known or definite threat. If you’re walking down a dark street, for example, and someone points a gun at you and says, “This is a robbery," then you’d likely experience a fear response. The danger is real, definite, and immediate. There’s a clear and present object of the fear.

Although the focus of the response is different (real vs. imagined danger), fear and anxiety are interrelated. When faced with fear, most people will experience the physical reactions that are described under anxiety.

Fear can cause anxiety, and anxiety can cause fear. However, the subtle distinctions between the two give you a better understanding of your symptoms. It can also help you and your doctor decide which treatment strategies will be the most effective.

The exact distinctions between anxiety and fear can also be challenging for researchers. Some have suggested that more research is needed to understand if the two are as different as previously suggested. Neuroimaging studies, for example, may be able to shed greater light on how fear and anxiety are connected.

The Psychology of Fear

What Anxiety and Fear Feel Like

Anxiety and fear can lead to many uncomfortable somatic (physical) sensations. Some of the most commonphysical symptoms of anxietyinclude:

The physical and emotional sensations associated with fear include:

The physical sensations of fear and anxiety are very similar. Because they both evoke the same type of physical and emotional response, it can make it more difficult to tell the difference between them.

What Causes Anxiety and Fear?

Fear often stems from the threat of potential harm, whether that threat is physical, psychological, or emotional. While we often think of fear as a negative, distressing state, it can also have benefits.

Healthy levels of fear or anxiety can prepare the body to respond to potential dangers, mobilizing you to respond quickly when needed.

When you encounter a threat, it triggers a response in your amygdala, a brain structure that plays a key role in the body’s fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response. This leads to a cascade of reactions that prepare your muscles to respond and trigger the release of stress hormones.

Related Mental Health Conditions

Unhealthy anxiety levels can cause distress and interfere with your ability to function in your daily life. Fear and anxiety are associated with many mental health conditions. These feelings are most often linked to anxiety disorders, such as:

Other conditions such aspost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)andobsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)can also cause feelings of anxiety.

Approximately 20% of U.S. adults experience symptoms of an anxiety disorder during any given year, and women tend to experience these symptoms more often than men. Because of this, experts now recommend that all women over the age of 13 should be screened for anxiety conditions.

If you are having symptoms of fear and anxiety that have become unmanageable, make an appointment with your doctor.

Treatments for Anxiety and Fear

Your doctor will consider your current symptoms and your medical history to help determine a possible cause of your fear and anxiety. From there, expect your doctor to make a diagnosis or refer you to a specialty treatment provider for further assessment.

Once diagnosed, you can start on atreatment planthat can assist in reducing and controlling your fear and anxiety.

Treatments for anxiety and fear often involve:

Coping With Anxiety and Fear

In addition to getting help from your doctor or therapist, there are also strategies you can use on your own to help manage your feelings of anxiety and fear.

Facing your fear (in a safe way) is often one of the best ways to overcome it.

The more often you engage in activities you fear, the less frightening they become. Over time, you’ll become more comfortable and able to face the challenge without experiencing fear.

The following strategies can also be helpful:

If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Tovote P, Fadok JP, Lüthi A.Neuronal circuits for fear and anxiety.Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015;16(6):317-31. doi:10.1038/nrn3945Sadock BJ, Sadock, VA, Ruiz P.Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry.11th edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2015.Daniel-Watanabe L, Fletcher PC.Are fear and anxiety truly distinct?Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2021;2(4):341-349. doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.006Gregory KD, Chelmow D, Nelson HD, et al.Screening for anxiety in adolescent and adult women: A recommendation from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative.Ann Intern Med. 2020. doi:10.7326/M20-0580Curtiss JE, Levine DS, Ander I, Baker AW.Cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety and stress-related disorders.Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2021;19(2):184-189. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20200045Sars D, van Minnen A.On the use of exposure therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders: a survey among cognitive behavioural therapists in the Netherlands.BMC Psychol. 2015;3(1):26. doi:10.1186/s40359-015-0083-2Hasheminasab M, Babapour Kheiroddin J, Mahmood Aliloo M, Fakhari A.Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for generalized anxiety disorder.Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(5):718-719.Aylett E, Small N, Bower P.Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):559. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, et al.The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults.Front Psychol. 2017;8:874. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Tovote P, Fadok JP, Lüthi A.Neuronal circuits for fear and anxiety.Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015;16(6):317-31. doi:10.1038/nrn3945Sadock BJ, Sadock, VA, Ruiz P.Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry.11th edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2015.Daniel-Watanabe L, Fletcher PC.Are fear and anxiety truly distinct?Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2021;2(4):341-349. doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.006Gregory KD, Chelmow D, Nelson HD, et al.Screening for anxiety in adolescent and adult women: A recommendation from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative.Ann Intern Med. 2020. doi:10.7326/M20-0580Curtiss JE, Levine DS, Ander I, Baker AW.Cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety and stress-related disorders.Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2021;19(2):184-189. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20200045Sars D, van Minnen A.On the use of exposure therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders: a survey among cognitive behavioural therapists in the Netherlands.BMC Psychol. 2015;3(1):26. doi:10.1186/s40359-015-0083-2Hasheminasab M, Babapour Kheiroddin J, Mahmood Aliloo M, Fakhari A.Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for generalized anxiety disorder.Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(5):718-719.Aylett E, Small N, Bower P.Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):559. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, et al.The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults.Front Psychol. 2017;8:874. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.Tovote P, Fadok JP, Lüthi A.Neuronal circuits for fear and anxiety.Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015;16(6):317-31. doi:10.1038/nrn3945Sadock BJ, Sadock, VA, Ruiz P.Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry.11th edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2015.Daniel-Watanabe L, Fletcher PC.Are fear and anxiety truly distinct?Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2021;2(4):341-349. doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.006Gregory KD, Chelmow D, Nelson HD, et al.Screening for anxiety in adolescent and adult women: A recommendation from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative.Ann Intern Med. 2020. doi:10.7326/M20-0580Curtiss JE, Levine DS, Ander I, Baker AW.Cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety and stress-related disorders.Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2021;19(2):184-189. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20200045Sars D, van Minnen A.On the use of exposure therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders: a survey among cognitive behavioural therapists in the Netherlands.BMC Psychol. 2015;3(1):26. doi:10.1186/s40359-015-0083-2Hasheminasab M, Babapour Kheiroddin J, Mahmood Aliloo M, Fakhari A.Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for generalized anxiety disorder.Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(5):718-719.Aylett E, Small N, Bower P.Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):559. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, et al.The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults.Front Psychol. 2017;8:874. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874

American Psychiatric Association (APA).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed, text revision. Washington, D.C.; 2022.

Tovote P, Fadok JP, Lüthi A.Neuronal circuits for fear and anxiety.Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015;16(6):317-31. doi:10.1038/nrn3945

Sadock BJ, Sadock, VA, Ruiz P.Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry.11th edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2015.

Daniel-Watanabe L, Fletcher PC.Are fear and anxiety truly distinct?Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2021;2(4):341-349. doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.006

Gregory KD, Chelmow D, Nelson HD, et al.Screening for anxiety in adolescent and adult women: A recommendation from the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative.Ann Intern Med. 2020. doi:10.7326/M20-0580

Curtiss JE, Levine DS, Ander I, Baker AW.Cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety and stress-related disorders.Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2021;19(2):184-189. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20200045

Sars D, van Minnen A.On the use of exposure therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders: a survey among cognitive behavioural therapists in the Netherlands.BMC Psychol. 2015;3(1):26. doi:10.1186/s40359-015-0083-2

Hasheminasab M, Babapour Kheiroddin J, Mahmood Aliloo M, Fakhari A.Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for generalized anxiety disorder.Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(5):718-719.

Aylett E, Small N, Bower P.Exercise in the treatment of clinical anxiety in general practice - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):559. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3313-5

Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, et al.The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults.Front Psychol. 2017;8:874. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874

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