#4 Manifestations of Intolerance of Uncertainty - Overcoming Worry & Anxiety | Dr. Rami Nader

If intolerance of uncertainty is the "fuel" that drives the excessive worry, how can you become more tolerant to uncertainty in the world. Increasing tolerance for uncertainty is a key skill in worry management and overcoming Generalized Anxiety Disorder. However, before you can become more tolerant for uncertainty, you need to know the ways in which intolerance of uncertainty manifests itself in your behavior and the various things you do. There are a lot of things that people do that are intolerant of uncertainty, with most people not being aware that these behaviors are actually promoting and exacerbating worry. Once you become better at recognizing the various manifestations of intolerance of uncertainty that are playing a role in your worry and anxiety, you can then begin to take steps to behave in ways that are more tolerant of uncertainty.

The manifestations of intolerance of uncertainty are:
1) Avoiding doing certain things.
2) Finding imaginary obstacles or reasons not to do certain things.
3) Procrastinating.
4) Always having to do everything yourself and not delegating tasks to anyone else.
5) Not fully committing yourself to a relationship, job or project.
6) Spreading yourself too thin and doing too many things at once.
7) Looking for a lot of information before proceeding to do something.
8) Second guessing yourself after you have made a decision because you are not longer certain it's the right decision.
9) Reassurance seeking.
10) Always trying to explain things rationally or creating a false sense of certainty by being overly and unrealistically optimistic.
11) Double checking things or redoing them because you are not certain you did them right in the first place.
12) Overprotecting others, doing things for them.

#GAD #Worry #CBT

Videos in the worry management series:

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[DrRamiNader]

Which forms of intolerance of uncertainty do you relate to the most?

[Youdoyou]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I find myself in almost every situation that you described. It is exhausting constantly worrying about things that might never happen, getting ready for the worst case scenario in every situation, being unable to make a decision and even once a decision is made doubting that it was the right one. I am looking forward to the next video.

[jimwelsh]

I have become aware of how I have avoided uncertainty for years and not at 80 the vultures are on the bedstead. It has taken me four years to go to the dentist and I went yesterday to discover things were not as bad as I thought.I Thank you for. these videos a good way to start my day.

[missedcalls]

The most accurate descriptions of what is going on in my head. Million thanks for making this video. What was said to me as symptoms of ADHD was intolerance of uncertainty and its manifestation.
This umbrella of explanation gives a lot of hope that I can address those.
Because understanding the problem is the first step in solving it.

[prience]

This video opened my eyes about uncertainty, I learned a lot about myself. This will help me to overcome uncertainty in Trading.

[jimwheeler]

Hard-hitting video in a good way. I checked the box on almost every example. Glad to finally know, yet sad that this dynamic has impacted my life so broadly for so long. But time to find a better path. Thank you.

[MrBungle]

This is so helpful to me as a sufferer of GAD and as a trainee counsellor. Thank you for highlighting an area of my life and so many others’ which is often left unspoken. Your videos on GAD have been so educational and enlightening for me.

Cheers, from England, mate.

[alottoftea]

I am stuck in a constant cycle of excessive information gathering and second-guessing myself. My confidence in my ability to make decisions is in tatters. I'm really looking forward to your next video as the methods I've tried to be more tolerant of uncertainty are really difficult to stick to.

[cuneytharp]

After watching your series of videos, i felt you are like a mirror in front of me. I am really shocked about explained manifests and unfortunately having all of them. But fortunately, i understood all of these has a meaning now and they have a common root cause. This is a very good first step for me to understand the mechanism.Thanks a lot !

[razali]

God bless you, thank you so much for making these videos!

[Steve-htry]

Doctor
I appreciated your insight. My uncertainty only revolves around the health of my loved ones. For example, if my wife has a medical exam and there is an issue (even if the doctor believes it is just to ensure over abundance of caution). I will go to a 10 level of fear, terror and anxiety. I am no use to her or to anything. I will research for hours and hours. The thing I hate the most is when I “what if” and she says why did I put that thought in her head. I die at that point. So I just shut up. Maybe you can address that kind of uncertainty in a future video.
Thanks.

[theRealE]

Sending love from Edmonton Alberta Canada 🇨🇦. Thank you

[hello]

These are brilliant videos. You explain things so well. I am finding them really useful. Thank you. John 🎉

[Sparksflymich]

I am going to do a HPV cervical cancer test tomorrow and I find myself super anxious about it because I can’t tolerate the uncertainty

[lb]

6:17 W😳W
#4 AND ESPECIALLY 5!!
These manifestations are. ABSOLUTELY MY LIFE....UP UNTIL NOW!!

[askevan]

I'm the person who can't fully commit for sure. This was helpful

[angelaroberts]

This has been my life for many years.... can you please discuss how to work through fears of tragedy such as natural disasters, accidents, acts of violence etc... . Can you also
Explain why some people internalize and become anxious from seeing tragedy or accidents happen to others . Thank you for your time and dedication!

[michelekurlan]

Wow, thanks for breaking this one down, Dr. Rami. Really, really helpful in that I now better understand my behavior around avoidance/uncertainty and that of others which in turn helps me to not over-personalize others' behavior. Your talks are helping identify a whole lot of 'stinkin' thinkin'./neg. self-talk. Really grateful👍
I found myself in just about every one of these points, some more than others. Seems like the two that got to me the most were about caretaking of others and second guessing.. Without going into it, neither have served me very well. I'll tell you right now I've gone in and edited this comment at least five times and hope this is the last one because I'm exhausted from this all to common behavior. 🙄
What I also find helpful about CBT approach is it is forward focused. Not alot of psychoanalysis. There is a place for looking at where we came from, however, its a place where I, for one, can easily get stuck.
My mom had a lot of stinkin' thinkin' and CBT helped her. Maybe this is why it's resonating with me cuz we had so much in common. And that's as far back as I'm going to go with it LOL

[ahmedsalah-jbov]

sir what can I say just from the bottom of my heart thank may God reward well for the amazing work

[sysrunner]

Thank you doctor. I am looking forward to next one...