Subjective Units of Distress (SUD) Scale

The SUD Scale is a gentle check-in tool that helps us notice how much distress or activation we’re experiencing in a given moment, using a simple 0–10 scale. 0 represents feeling no distress or disturbance, while 10 reflects the most intense distress we can imagine.

At any given time, we can pause and identify a number that best matches out experience. This scale offers language for our internal state, supports pacing in healing work, and provides a way to track shifts in safety, stress, or overwhelm with clarity and neutrality.