They found that those with social anxiety disorder and specific phobias blinked more and harder when they were anticipating an unknown, unpleasant experience.
This led researchers to conclude that these individuals were more sensitive to anxiety about the unknown. Children with anxiety disorders seem to be particularly vulnerable.
But some psychologists question the connection between fear of the unknown and depression, because depression is viewed as a sense of certainty. The feeling of hopelessness, for example, comes from the idea that it is certain nothing good is on the way. There appears to be a link between fear of the unknown and alcohol use disorder.
In another study , researchers used the same experimental conditions predictable and unpredictable electric shocks and found that study participants with a history of problematic alcohol use were extrasensitive to the uncertainty. Psychologists have studied intolerance for uncertainty in people with eating disorders. In a study , this anxiety was strongest in people who were more introver t ed and less secure in their ability to connect with other people. Intolerance of uncertainty is a common anxiety for people with obsessive compulsive disorder OCD.
In a study , study participants with OCD answered questions about their symptoms. Intolerance of uncertainty motivated four of the symptoms they reported:. People who feel compelled to collect possessions may be doing so as a response to fear of the unknown. Scientists have studied people with hoarding disorder and found an increased intolerance for uncertainty. In a study , 57 people with hoarding disorder completed group therapy sessions. Researchers found that when therapists addressed the intolerance for uncertainty, treatment outcomes improved.
If you experience fear of the unknown, take time to examine what beliefs you hold. Then ask yourself a few questions:. You may be able to shrink your fear of the unknown by increasing what you know. Armed with more information, you may find it easier to make decisions.
This step is particularly important if you experience fear of the unknown related to your finances. It may be scary to look bills and budgets squarely in the eye, but doing so will empower you to make better decisions. You can take actions today to reduce the possibility of a negative outcome down the road. By listing factors within your control and then taking one small step each day, you can shore up your sense of responsibility and control over your life.
These factors can all increase your capacity to deal with the stress that comes from uncertainty:. A therapist may be able to help you process your fear of the unknown and devise strategies to reframe your thinking patterns in helpful ways.
Fear of the unknown is the tendency to be afraid when you have no information on any level about something you face. It can escalate into an intolerance of uncertainty. To manage the fear, you can identify areas within your control, make a step-by-step plan, practice mindfulness to ground yourself in the present, or talk to someone you trust.
The outcome of each trial is purely random, but the participants do have a choice to know the result immediately, instead of waiting a few seconds before they find out. The immediate knowledge comes with a penalty, though: if they do win the trial, they will have less chance of winning and the prize will be smaller.
The rest were willing to take a financial hit to avoid some of the anxious waiting in a state of uncertainty. Tanovic says that many everyday situations elicit the same kind of reaction. Neuroscientists have started to track the brain activity behind this kind of flawed decision making.
The research is still ongoing, but the results so far offer some hints of the neural response to uncertainty. Our reactions to uncertainty may have made sense in evolution.
The brain is constantly trying to predict what will happen next, allowing it to prepare the body and mind in the most effective way possible. As a result, it could pay to err on the side of caution — either by avoiding the uncertainty altogether or by putting the brain and body in an aroused state that is ready to respond to a changing situation. In many cases, a feeling of uncertainty can bring acute discomfort, and even trigger anxiety disorders Credit: Getty Images.
To get an idea of how you might score, rate the following statements from 1 not characteristic of me at all to 5 entirely characteristic of me :. People who score high intolerance of uncertainty tend to show heightened stress responses to uncertain situations. In those electric-shock experiments, for example, participants may come to associate a cue — such as a particular picture or sound — with the feeling of pain. After a while, however, the researchers simply stop delivering the shock.
Some of these signs include:. Fear of change may also be related to a fear of failure , success , loss, self-doubt, or upsetting others. In essence, there are two types of fear: constructive fear and destructive fear. Destructive fear alerts us to a non-existent threat. If destructive fear of the unknown is left unmanaged, potential complications may include:.
If your fear of the unknown is less severe, there are ways to cope that you can pursue every day to overcome this phobia:. Journaling can help you better understand your fears to shift them. Manly says that when we journal freely and without judgment, we enable our minds to unload and potentially understand what could hold us back. Manly reminds us that the more we turn inward to self-reflect, the more we come to understand and appreciate who we are and what we need.
When we set aside time for self-reflection each day, she says that we can become attuned to what we really want and need in life, which can help us welcome change a bit easier. Compile photographs, magazine clippings, and print images or art from the internet to create a board full of things that you would like to manifest into reality.
Manly says that creating vision boards gives our creative side a chance to imagine a different future. This process of imagining new possibilities for what our life can look like on the other side of change can be cathartic and support us in bringing those goals to reality. Discuss your fears with a trusted friend or family member.
They may share a similar fear and offer tips on how to cope from personal experience. Otherwise, expressing your fears can help to alleviate shame, stress, or anxiety and make you feel less alone. Once you understand where your fear of change comes from, you can then set attainable goals in an effort to take actionable steps toward positive change. According to Manly, fears tend to subside when we embrace a can-do attitude, take things one step at a time, and move toward them slowly, mindfully, and in conscientious ways.
Avoiding necessary changes due to fear can lead to a build-up of stress and lead to harmful situations or circumstances. Oftentimes, fear of the unknown can be more anxiety-provoking than it's worth in the end. Rather than looking at what could happen in a negative light e. She has witnessed positive change occur with her clients where people who finally took steps to move forward ultimately wondered why they didn't make changes sooner.
Intense fear of change can lead to more extreme symptoms that can interfere with your daily life, including how you navigate socializing, working, and maintaining relationships.
However, it is possible to overcome this fear with the proper treatment, such as therapy or relaxation strategies. Medication may also be beneficial in times when holistic measures fail to provide relief. At what point should someone seek help to alleviate their fear of change? If you feel chronically stuck, depressed, or anxious, Manly notes that it is important to reach out for professional help.
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