What are fears and phobias?

Near synonyms: Phobia is greek for fear. Many people have at least mild phobias, for example, fear of the dark or of snakes or heights. There is nothing wrong with being fearful--it can be a great survival tool; but, if one is so afraid of wasps that you never go outside or cannot cross a bridge, then fear causes impairment, which is when we begin to think of it as a disorder.