Appliance of Science: What is the difference between fear and phobia?

Our fears help keep us out of harm's way, but sometimes that natural response can be ramped up into the life-limiting extreme of phobia

How do you react when you see a spider? Do you scream and run as if your life depended on it, or ignore and go about your business? I imagine, for many, the reality sits somewhere between these two, but if you sit firmly in the ‘scream and run’ camp, then maybe your spider dislike is more phobia than fear. You wouldn’t be alone, as arachnophobia is in the top ten phobia listing. But what are phobias, and can they be cured?

Fears and phobias