In this episode, I describe what happens to your anxiety when you give into it with safety behaviors and compulsions/rituals.  I also go over the habituation curve, i.e. when you, instead, sit with those feelings - without engaging in safety behaviors or compulsions/rituals.  You'll see what happens to your anxiety over time in both scenarios and why you're better off biting the bullet, sticking to it, and doing the hard things vs. ritualizing.  I'll tell you what to expect so that you feel more prepared and better equipped going into your first exposure or challenging situation.

This podcast should not be substituted, nor is meant to act as a substitute, for legitimate mental health treatment/a legitimate mental health treatment provider.  This podcast and any information in it is solely the reflection of general knowledge and cannot be taken as a personal therapeutic recommendation.  To find a therapist near you to work more directly with these issues, head over to psychologytoday.com or nami.org.

Click here for a visual of the habituation curve described in the episode: https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/habituation/