Overcome fear of EXTERNAL situations
‘REAL LIFE’ Graduated Exposure Practice
Creating your ‘Fear hierarchy’
First write down (in no particular order) all the situations and places you AVOID for fear of having a panic attack.
Some typical examples
- Shopping Centres / Shops
- Restaurants / cafes / canteens
- Cinema / Theatre / Busy Streets
- Buses / Trains / Subway / Planes
- Driving / Motorways / City centre
- Elevators / Escalators
- Walking outside / Running
- Bridges / Heights
- Talking to anyone in ‘Authority’
- Doctors / dentists / hospitals
- Work / Meetings
- Family gatherings
- Parties / Socialising
- Being alone
- Open spaces
- Being too far from home
- Holidays
- Classrooms
- Recreation centres
- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
Rate each situation for the level of anxiety it produces. From 0 (no anxiety) to 10 (extreme anxiety)
These are called ‘Subjective Units of Distress’ or ‘SUDs’ ratings
Finally, order your list from the LEAST anxiety provoking to the MOST.