There were three things that I thought were phobias:
Snakes, water, and severe lightning and thunder. We get strong lightning that often kills many in Jamaica, so I've always hated it.
That day on the river, I realised that water, lightning and thunder were only fears and not phobias.
However, when I was home alone and a snake came into my house in the Philippines, that was my worst day ever.
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Fear is some controlled emotion to me (when I understand what I am scared of and why), while phobia is uncontrolled, subconscious, organically inherent feeling when it is impossible to convince myself not to be afraid. thus, in snakes case, I have fear (even horror), and in case of height, I have a phobia. something like this...
Yes, phobias are irrational. I find it interesting how casual people's reactions can be when someone informs them of a phobia.
Once a tour bus pulled up at the lobby, and the guide from the Jamaica Tourist Board came to ask me if there were any cats on the property because there was a journalist with a phobia for cats. I took her concern seriously and took her to a location where she couldn't see any of the several cats we had on the property. All the staff laughed and ridiculed asking how could someone be afraid of cats.
The guide told me that the lady just wreaked havoc at the last resort and damaged all the fancy crockery in the restaurant and refused to pay because she advised them and they casually lied about cats not being there.