Anxiety · Exposure
Graded Exposure Hierarchy
The ladder — one rung, repeated until boring
Graded exposure works because the brain updates fear through experience, not argument. Build the ladder, then climb — one rung, repeated until it drops.
The feared situation
My ladder (SUDs 0–100)
Rung
Exposure step
SUDs before
SUDs after
Rules of the ladder
- Stay in the situation until the anxiety drops meaningfully
- Repeat the same rung until it stops spiking
- No safety behaviors during the exposure
- Move up only when the current rung is boring
Boredom is the goal
A rung is done when it's boring, not when it's comfortable. Boring means the brain has fully updated.