i have an extreme fear of falling, yet i work heights.
i have a phobia of snakes, yet i own, breed, and sell them.
i have an EXTREME hatred/fear for spiders, yet i don't say a word when people own them, show them, or insist on having the enclosure where i have to be.
above all, i'm claustrophobic to the point of insanity, but when i MUST be in tight quarters, i control myself even though i'm hating every nanosecond.
if you understand you have an irrational fear, you can take measures to correct your reactive behavior. most people's phobias are encouraged by the attention they get when they pitch a fit, and the behavior becomes natural and acceptable to the person suffering from the anxiety.