Hard to leave the house? You don't need to force it.
The deliveries instead of the shop. The plans cancelled an hour before. The world gets smaller quietly, until home is the only place that feels safe. It doesn't have to stay that way.
How it actually works
Conquer Fear breaks this fear into steps so small they're hard to flinch at. Standing at the open front door for one minute is a real step. You log your anxiety from 0-10 before and after each step, and you watch the number drop as your brain updates on evidence, not pep talks. The approach is inspired by exposure principles, one of the most researched ways to work with fear.
What a leaving-the-house ladder looks like
Most ladders for this fear only change how far you go. The other variable matters just as much: whether anyone is with you. Being able to reach the shop with your partner and not on your own are two different places on the ladder, and treatment research has scored them separately for decades. If every rung you have tried still had someone in it, that is probably the thing to change next, not the distance.
- 1Stand at the open front door for one minute, with someone else at home
- 2Stand at the open front door for one minute, on your own in the house
- 3Walk to the end of the path and back, with someone watching from the door
- 4Walk to the end of the path and back, on your own
- 5Walk once around the block with someone, talking as you go
- 6Walk once around the block with someone, walking a few steps behind you
- 7Walk once around the block on your own, phone in your pocket, nobody on the line
- 8Go into a quiet local shop with someone waiting outside
- 9Go into a quiet local shop on your own
- 10The trip you have been putting off
Inside the app
Questions people ask
Do I have to do anything scary on day one?
No. Day one might be opening the front door and standing there. If a step feels too big, you make it smaller. That's the whole method.
Is this therapy?
No. Conquer Fear is a self-guided tool for personal growth. It is not therapy and it is not a substitute for professional care. If you are struggling or in crisis, please reach out to a professional or a local crisis line.
How long does it take?
There's no timetable. Some people add a little distance every few days, others repeat the same walk until the number drops. Small and often beats big and once.
What if I try a step and can't do it?
Then you log it. The app records it as "Showed up", because turning up to a step you didn't complete still teaches your brain something. Nothing is wasted, and you can repeat the step or make it smaller before you try again.
Is it cheating to have someone with me?
No. Starting with someone there is a sensible first rung, and for a lot of people it is the only way to get on the ladder at all. It stops working when it never changes. If every attempt for the last month has had the same person in it, make the next rung the same place with less of them: waiting outside, a few steps behind, at home instead of at the door. Shrink the person, not just the distance.
Start with a step that feels too easy.
Download on the App StoreOther fears people work on
Conquer Fear is a self-guided tool inspired by exposure principles. It is not therapy or medical care. If fear is severely limiting your life, a licensed professional is the right first step.