Confronting Your Fears Through Exposure
153OBSTACLES TO COMPLETING  
EXPOSURE PRACTICES
There are many different reasons why people sometimes don’t follow through on expo -
sure practices. We suggest that you anticipate the possible obstacles in advance and try 
to think of ways to overcome them. There are always going to be reasons not to practice. 
To combat the excuses you will undoubtedly come up with, you will need to remind 
yourself of your reasons to continue to practice despite lack of desire, lack of time, or 
being overwhelmed with the idea of confronting situations that make you anxious and 
uncomfortable. Here is a listing of some of the most common reasons why people pro -
crastinate when it comes to doing exposure exercises. We’ve also offered some possible 
solutions to these problems.
Obstacle:   My practices are never planned in enough detail, so I am not sure 
exactly what I am supposed to do.
Solution:   At the beginning of each week, plan your exposure practices thoroughly. 
You should know exactly what you’re going to do, where you’re going to 
do it, and when you’re going to practice (dates and times).
Obstacle:   Although I have good intentions, my plans never seem to work out. For 
example, when I plan to have lunch with a friend, I often ﬁnd that my 
friend isn’t available when I call.
Solutions:   Make sure you make plans early. Leaving things for the last minute will 
make it much more likely that your plans won’t work out.
Be sure to have a backup plan. For example, if you’re planning to have 
lunch with a coworker, make sure you have an alternative second plan