Intolerance of uncertainty is part of the essence of depression and anxiety. Its origin can be explained, in part, because we do not assume any change as positive and constructive.
Intolerance of uncertainty plays a key role in our tendency to cause undue concern. The way we see the uncertain, the unknown and the indeterminate can have an impact on our emotional state, promoting the development of emotional problems such as anxiety and depression.
- Sometimes it seems that we are allergic to new things.
- To changes and their implications.
- We are afraid to assume that nothing will ever be as before.
- And we are unable to pay attention to other opportunities that can bring us many improvements.
“We consider uncertainty to be the worst of all evils, until reality proves otherwise. “Jean Baptiste Alphonse Karr?
By definition, intolerance of uncertainty is a personal characteristic consisting of negative beliefs about uncertainty and what it entails.
Recent studies suggest that intolerance to uncertainty is prospective, it is different from intolerance to ambiguity, which affects only the present moment.
Thus, we can point out that it is represented by two dimensions
Intolerance of uncertainty is an increasingly used transdiagnosis concept to assess emotional problems such as anxiety and depression, understanding its value helps us effectively combat all the thoughts and emotions that destroy us from within, creating a huge disorder.
“Uncertainty is so unpleasant for humans that instead of accepting it to manage it, we prefer to come up with a story to tell each other and tell each other everything that will happen. “
We must emphasize that the pursuit of absolute certainty leads to unhappiness, not everything is cause and effect. In fact, in life there is nothing absolute, it remains unpredictable as it always has been, we all tend to ask ourselves questions like: what if these pains were symptoms of cancer ?, what if I don’t get a good job?
Both the answer we give to these questions and the frequency and type of events that trigger them are determining factors in considering this trend as a dangerous habit. People with depression, anxiety or similar problems are generally more negative than others.
We react strongly to uncertainty because we are “certainly sick. ” We like that everything is planned, which often leads us to ill-fated the negative consequences of unknown situations, or that somehow do not correspond to our expectations of what we consider “normal”.
Trying to increase safety reduces tolerance to uncertainty and increases anxiety; on the contrary, greater tolerance for uncertainty alleviates concerns; means being more flexible.
We can learn to better tolerate uncertainty, because it is a habit that you can work on. Initially, we need to identify how we respond to unknown situations, then try to understand that the fact itself is presented in different ways that often not exactly. correspond to our expectations.
If we don’t tolerate uncertainty, we become stiffer and more unhappy. Higher tolerance can help us to be more flexible and therefore happier. Often, the key to changing and achieving good emotional health is where you least expect it, and this awareness is a perfect example.
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Sandin B, Chorot, P. y Valiente, R. (2012) . Transdiagnosis, New frontier in clinical psychology. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Psychology, 17, 3, pp. 185-203.