Learning about anxiety and noticing progress makes room for a new type: Anxiety about making progress with anxiety.

• “Is this a safety behavior or not?”
• “Am I doing enough exposures?”
• “Am I doing the right type of exposures?”
• “I need to get it perfect to make sure I get over anxiety!”

It’s just another trick it tries to play on us. Anxiety feeds us new types of content as we make progress with the usual content. It tries to convince us that this new “danger” is real. This one we won’t be able to figure out.

The good news is it’s all the same. The content of worry and anxiety is irrelevant because it’s the same path forward: Label it as anxiety, remind ourselves the amygdala is sending false signals, avoid avoidance, and strengthen our tolerance for uncertainty.