Don.t.Let.Your.Anxiety.Run.Your.Life

190 Don’t Let A nxiety Run Your Life

Be very observant when you do this, and write down your
responses soon after testing yourself. Safety behaviors can be subtle
and thus difficult to detect, which is why it’s important to spend
some time figuring out which ones are specific to you.

Exercise 9.2: Make a Fear Hierarchy A nother important
precursor to exposure is the development of a fear hierarchy, which
you can create using the format below (worksheet available at
http://w w w.newharbinger.com/34169).
List ten situations you tend to avoid. On a scale of 1 to 100, rate
each one according to the level of distress, anxiety, or emotional dis-
comfort you feel in that situation.

0–9: No anxiety; calm; relaxed

10– 39: Mild anxiety; alert; able to cope

40– 59: Moderate anxiety; some trouble concentrating

60–89: Severe anxiety; thoughts of leaving

90–100: Very severe anxiety; extreme fear

Then, on a scale of 1 to 100, rate each situation according to
how frequently you avoid it.

0–9: Never avoid

10– 39: Avoid once in a while

40– 59: Avoid sometimes

60– 89: Usually avoid

90–100: A lways avoid

Then put those situations in order, with the highest numbers at
the top and the lowest numbers at the bottom.