Have you ever had a fear that you know makes absolutely no sense… and yet your brain refuses to let it go?

I have one.

There is an oil change place near my house that has one of those drive-through service bays where you pull your car forward, and your vehicle is positioned over a large opening or service area. Every single time I drive into that place, a tiny but very persistent part of my brain whispers:

"What if you accidentally drive your car into the bay?"

Now, logically, I know this is extraordinarily unlikely.

I know how to drive.

I know how to brake.

I know that there are people directing traffic, equipment designed to keep cars where they belong, and a very obvious place where my car is supposed to stop.

And yet…

As I pull toward that bay, my brain suddenly turns into the director of a low-budget disaster movie.

What if I accidentally hit the gas?

What if my foot slips?

What if I somehow forget which pedal is the brake?

What if the car suddenly accelerates?

What if I drive straight into the giant hole?

And then my rational brain has to step in and say:

"Michelle. Seriously?"

Welcome to the strange world of irrational fears.

One of the most frustrating things about anxiety is that knowing something is irrational does not necessarily make the feeling disappear.

Our brains are designed to detect potential danger. Fear is actually a very useful survival mechanism. When your brain perceives a threat, your body can release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, preparing you to respond.

The problem is that the brain isn't always particularly interested in probability.

It is interested in possibility.

There is a big difference.

Something can be possible without being probable.

Could I accidentally drive my car into the oil-change bay? Technically, yes. Is it likely? Absolutely not.

But anxiety has a peculiar way of taking the word possible and turning it into prepare immediately.

That is where irrational fears can become so convincing.

We casually use the phrase "irrational fear" to describe anything that seems excessive, unusual, or out of proportion to the actual situation.

Clinically, however, a phobia is more specific. A specific phobia involves an intense fear or anxiety related to a particular object or situation that is significantly greater than the actual threat and may lead someone to avoid the feared situation.

And that distinction matters.

Being nervous about flying does not automatically mean you have a phobia. Feeling uncomfortable around spiders does not automatically mean you have arachnophobia. And being convinced for approximately 14 seconds that you might drive your car into an oil-change bay does not mean I have a diagnosable driving phobia.

Sometimes a weird thought is simply… a weird thought.

Our brains produce thousands of thoughts every day. Some are useful. Some are boring. Some are creative. Some are completely random.

And some are: "What if I drive into that giant hole?"

The thought itself isn't necessarily the problem. The relationship we develop with the thought can be.

Anxiety often involves overestimating danger and underestimating our ability to cope with it.

The anxious brain may scan the environment looking for something that could go wrong. Once it finds something, it may begin constructing increasingly elaborate possibilities.

This is sometimes called catastrophic thinking.

It can sound like:

• What if…?
• But what if…?
• Okay, but what if THAT happens?

And suddenly you're three imaginary disasters deep.

The brain is essentially running a simulation. Unfortunately, it doesn't always understand that a simulation is not a prediction.

That distinction is incredibly important.

• Thinking about something happening does not make it more likely to happen.
• Having a frightening thought does not mean you secretly want it to happen.
• And imagining a disaster does not mean your brain has discovered a hidden prophecy.

One of my favorite things about talking about irrational fears is discovering just how creative the human brain can be.

There are fears of heights, flying, enclosed spaces, needles, vomiting, public speaking and driving. Cleveland Clinic notes that specific phobias can involve animals, medical procedures, situations and a wide range of other triggers.

And then there are some fears that sound like they were invented during a particularly creative game of psychological Mad Libs.

For a delightfully strange rabbit hole, explore FEAROF's giant list of phobias. You'll encounter fears involving balloons, holes, chickens, feet, long words and even the fear of fear itself.

Yes. The fear of fear is a thing.

Cleveland Clinic calls this phobophobia, and describes it as an intense fear of experiencing fear itself.

Which is both fascinating and, if we're being honest, a little psychologically rude.

The important question isn't necessarily: "Is my fear irrational?"

A better question is: "Is this fear interfering with my life?"

A fear may deserve additional attention when it:

• Causes significant distress
• Leads to persistent avoidance
• Interferes with work, relationships or daily activities
• Keeps you from doing things that matter to you

For example, if you're nervous about driving through a particular intersection but continue driving normally, that may simply be an uncomfortable thought.

If you're avoiding driving altogether, taking dramatically longer routes to avoid certain locations, repeatedly checking your car, seeking constant reassurance, or experiencing panic whenever you approach a particular situation, it may be worth talking with a mental health professional.

Phobias are treatable. Cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure-based approaches are commonly used to help people gradually change the way they respond to feared situations.

I try not to argue with my brain.

Instead, I acknowledge it.

"Yep. There's that thought again."

Then I remind myself:

• "A thought is not a prediction."
• "Feeling anxious does not mean I'm in danger."
• "I can pay attention to what I'm actually doing rather than what my anxiety is imagining."

And then I drive forward.

Sometimes the goal isn't to make the fear disappear completely. Sometimes the goal is to stop giving the fear the steering wheel.

That is an important distinction.

We don't necessarily have to eliminate every uncomfortable thought before we can live our lives. In fact, trying desperately to eliminate every unwanted thought can sometimes make us pay even more attention to it.

Instead, we can learn to notice the thought, evaluate it, tolerate the discomfort and keep moving toward what matters.

Maybe your irrational fear is driving over a bridge. Maybe it's an elevator getting stuck. Maybe it's accidentally sending a text to the wrong person. Maybe it's getting on an airplane. Maybe it's balloons. Maybe it's a perfectly harmless situation that your brain has somehow nominated as The Most Dangerous Thing Ever™.

You're not broken. You're human.

Our brains are magnificent prediction machines, but they aren't flawless ones. Sometimes they sound the alarm when there's a fire. Sometimes they sound the alarm because someone made toast.

The goal of mental health isn't to silence every alarm. It's learning which alarms require action, which require curiosity, and which can simply be allowed to beep in the background while you continue living your life.

And as for me? I will continue taking my car to the oil change place. I will continue driving into the bay. And I will continue reminding myself that the probability of accidentally driving my car into that opening is dramatically lower than my anxiety would have me believe.

Although I reserve the right to give the brakes a tiny extra tap.

Just in case.

Here are a few places to explore:

• Cleveland Clinic: Phobias — a clinically grounded overview of phobias, symptoms and treatment.
• NHS: Anxiety, Fear and Panic — information about anxiety, fear and panic.
• FEAROF: The Ultimate List of Phobias and Fears — if you want to discover some of the wonderfully strange things humans can fear.

This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized mental health care. If fear or anxiety is interfering with your daily life, consider speaking with a qualified mental health professional.