If you suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), your kryptonite is Uncertainty.
You plan every trip down to the minute. You read every review before buying a toaster. You double-check texts to make sure they can’t be misinterpreted.
You believe that if you just worry hard enough, you can eliminate the unknown. But you can’t. Life is inherently uncertain.
This refusal to accept the unknown is called Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU). It is the engine that drives the worry cycle. The only way to stop the engine is to prove to your brain that not knowing is actually safe.
Uncertainty Trainer is a “Behavioral Experiment” generator.
The Science: Behavioral Experiments
The most effective way to treat IU is to expose yourself to small, manageable risks.
If you always check the weather, try going for a walk without checking it. If it rains, you get wet. And you realize: “I got wet. It was annoying. But I survived.”
This realization—that you can handle a negative outcome—is the cure. Uncertainty Trainer provides a virtual sandbox to practice this “risk-taking” before you try it in the real world.
The Game: Uncertainty Trainer
- The Bet: You are presented with a series of vague scenarios with incomplete information.
- The Choice: You must make a decision without being allowed to ask for more clues.
- “Pick a restaurant based only on the name.”
- “Choose a path in the maze without seeing the map.”
- The Feedback: Sometimes the outcome is good. Sometimes it is bad.
- The Lesson: The game tracks your “Survival Rate.” It shows you that even when you make a “blind” choice and get a “bad” outcome, the game doesn’t end. You keep going. You learn that a bad choice isn’t a catastrophe.
👉 Play the Game: Uncertainty Trainer
Actionable Advice
- Micro-Risks: Try ordering a dish you’ve never heard of at a restaurant. Don’t Google it. Just order it. If you hate it, great! You just successfully practiced surviving a bad outcome.
- Delegate: Let someone else plan the movie night. Do not ask what movie it is until you get there. Sit with the discomfort of not being in control.
Safety & Disclaimer
- This tool is for educational purposes.
- Real Risk: We are advocating for safe uncertainty (like picking a movie), not dangerous uncertainty (like driving without a seatbelt). Please use common sense.
References
- Carleton, R. N. (2016). Into the unknown: A review and synthesis of contemporary models involving intolerance of uncertainty. Journal of Anxiety Disorders.
- Dugas, M. J., & Robichaud, M. (2007). Cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: From science to practice. Routledge.
- Grupe, D. W., & Nitschke, J. B. (2013). Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.