Fear is a universal and ancestral emotion that plays an important role in human survival. However, not all types of fear are the same. There is a key difference between functional fear and pathological fear, which is essential to understanding how to confront and manage this emotion appropriately.
What is fear? Functional fear?
Functional fear, also known as adaptive fear, is a natural response of the body to situations of real danger or threat. This type of fear has a protective and adaptive function, since it alerts us to possible risks and prepares us to respond appropriately to guarantee our survival. Functional fear is usually proportional to the situation that triggers it and disappears once the danger has passed.
Characteristics of functional fear:
- It is an adaptive response to situations of real danger.
- It activates the body's alert system to prepare us for possible threats.
- It is proportional to the specific situation that triggers it.
- A once the threat or danger ceases.
What is pathological fear?
On the other hand, pathological fear, also known as phobia, is a response excessive and irrational in situations that do not represent a real danger. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder in which the intensity and persistence of fear are disproportionate to the actual objective threat. Those who suffer from pathological fear can experience intense and disabling discomfort that affects their quality of life and interpersonal relationships.
Characteristics of pathological fear:
- It is a disproportionate and egregious response. irrational in situations that do not represent a real danger.
- It generates intense and persistent discomfort in the affected person.
- It can interfere with daily life and limit daily activities.
- It does not disappear even if the dangerous situation has passed.
Main differences between functional fear and pathological fear:
Origin and function:
The main difference between functional fear and pathological fear lies in its origin and function. While functional fear is an adaptive and protective response to real dangerous situations, pathological fear is a disproportionate and irrational response to stimuli that do not represent a real threat.
Intensity and duration:
Functional fear is usually short-lived and disappears once the dangerous stimulus ceases. On the other hand, pathological fear is persistent and can generate intense emotional discomfort that affects the quality of life of the affected person.
Proportionality to the stimulus:
While functional fear is proportional to the stimulus that triggers it, that is, it adjusts to the situation of real danger, pathological fear is disproportionate and irrational in relation to the perceived threat.
Impact on daily life:
Functional fear does not significantly interfere with the person's daily activities, since it fulfills an adaptive function and can be useful in taking necessary precautionary measures. In contrast, pathological fear can limit daily activities and make interpersonal relationships difficult due to its intensity and persistence.
Treatment and management:
Fear Functional usually requires coping strategies specific to the actual dangerous situation, such as avoidance of the imminent threat or activation of appropriate defense mechanisms. On the other hand, pathological fear generally requires specialized psychological intervention, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, to address irrational beliefs and modify the thought patterns that maintain the phobia.
Physiological response:
In functional fear, the body's physiological response is activated in an appropriate way to deal with real danger, such as the release of stress hormones and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. On the other hand, in pathological fear, the physiological response can be exaggerated and inappropriate to stimuli that do not involve a real risk, which contributes to the intensity of the emotional discomfort experienced.
Awareness of irrationality:
Those who experience functional fear are usually aware of the rationality of their fear and can objectively evaluate the dangerous situation. On the contrary, in pathological fear, the affected person can recognize the irrationality of his fear, but finds it difficult to control it despite this knowledge.
Adaptability and learning:
Functional fear allows the person to adapt to dangerous situations and learn from experiences for future occasions. On the other hand, pathological fear can limit the ability to learn and unlearn irrational associations that maintain the phobia, making it difficult to overcome the anxiety disorder.
Conclusions
In summary, functional fear and pathological fear are two different manifestations of a basic emotion such as fear. While functional fear fulfills an adaptive and protective function against real threats, pathological fear represents a disproportionate and irrational response to stimuli that do not represent an objective danger. It is essential to be able to distinguish between both types of fear to provide appropriate care and treatment to affected people and improve their quality of life.