Confronting Your Fears Through Exposure
151Rapid exposure requires a strong commitment from you to tolerate higher levels of 
discomfort.
The differences between these two forms of exposure can be compared to the 
difference between jumping into a cold swimming pool and entering the pool slowly. 
Jumping into the pool quickly causes more initial discomfort, but you get used to the 
water more quickly. On the other hand, getting into the pool slowly and gradually may 
be less shocking to your system, but it will take you longer to get used to the water.
We recommend that you practice exposures as quickly as you are willing to. If you 
are able to take steps more quickly, you will overcome your anxiety more quickly. If 
you prefer a more gradual approach, that’s ﬁne, too. Sometimes, you may ﬁnd it dif -
ﬁcult to judge whether a particular step is too difﬁcult. Remember, there is no harm in 
taking steps too quickly. If an exercise ends up becoming too overwhelming, you have 
the option of continuing to practice it until it becomes easier or stepping back, trying a 
less difﬁcult exercise, and working your way up to the difﬁcult practice more gradually. 
Either approach is likely to be helpful. The decision is a matter of personal preference 
and how much discomfort you’re willing to tolerate.
HOW EXPOSURE WORKS
Many cognitive-behavioral researchers and therapists believe that exposure works by 
providing individuals with an opportunity to test the validity of their fearful thoughts, 
assumptions, and interpretations. In chapter 6, we discussed the use of behavioral experi -
ments for challenging anxious beliefs and predictions. Repeated exposure may be thought 
of as a form of behavioral experiment. By entering feared situations and exposing your -