How gradual exposure works
Avoiding a situation can feel like relief, and it can also make the fear grow. Gradual exposure is a step by step approach used in CBT. You list feared situations, rate each from 0 to 100 for how much fear you expect, and start with the easiest. The NHS describes staying in the situation until your fear has dropped by about half, then moving up gradually. Newer research stresses that what helps most is learning that the feared outcome does not happen or is more manageable than expected, so fear dropping within one session is not required.
The 0 to 100 rating is often called SUDS, short for Subjective Units of Distress. It is simply your own rating. There are no right or wrong numbers.