I have seen two schools of thought regarding creating challenges for yourself in getting past that "wall of anxiety" and successfully getting past our fears:
1 - This program (AAD) teaches us to just go for it... get out there, step through that Wall, doesn't matter if you panic and feel anxiety...just DO IT (whatever it is that you fear doing).
2 - Another view I've heard is to do it in small steps, only pushing yourself to the point of starting to feel uncomfortable -- no farther -- the idea being that you don't want to create negative reinforcement by pushing yourself too far too fast, and having a bad experience. This just serves to reinforce your anxious feelings associated with your trigger situations.

I post this question to anyone out there and would love to hear your thoughts, pro and con, on both view points. The fearful me of course wants to believe in the "take-it-slowly" idea. I do see the point in both views, however. You don't want to freak yourself out so badly that you DON'T want to try the challenge again....so....hmmm...
I'M CONFUSED!

Had i had some school of thought when my panic attacks started, it would have been great, but i didnt. so doctors telling me all my tests came back fine, i was in great shape. I just decided i was a NUT!
So, with no answers, i began avoiding! The more avoided going out, to keep from having panic attacks, the smaller my world became, until i couldnt leave my house at all.

For six years, i couldnt even try, till i got to a point, i was going to die in my house.
I think your survival instincts then set in, and you know you have to at least try.
So, I started making attempts (baby steps) to just go outside, which at the time, meant crawling outside, because i was so afraid. But, when i did, and could actually sit there for 5 minutes without dying, i felt elated. I kept doing that for days at a time. Each day a little longer, till i was walking outside, around my yard. Each time i made it, gave me more courage to go farther and longer.
For some, maybe it works to just DO IT!! Especially when panic attacks first start. I didnt. For me, because i had been housebound so long, it took baby steps.
I baby stepped it, to the point i was driving again, when i got this program. The awesome awakening for me with the program was, reenforcing, what i was already doing, and giving me the skills to do it better! take care Nelly

Good post, Nelly. I agree. I think the program teaches to challenge yourself, but don't overwhelm yourself.

I agree. For almost everything, it has been baby steps and celebrating those baby steps. When I can't take baby steps (for example, having a medical procedure done), I've made sure I use positive self talk and take my relaxation tape when I can.