Fear of the unknown: are you more sensitive to uncertainty than others?

When intolerance for uncertainty becomes very frequent, and a dominant part of how you interact with the world, it can lead to anxiety, worry and avoidance. Photograph: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

Much of the anxiety in my life has emerged from the question what if. What if my headache has a more sinister origin? What if I go to a holiday party, and don’t know anyone? What if I publish an article, and everyone hates it?

I want to be certain of what’s going to happen, and any uncertainty makes me squirm. In other words, I have an intolerance for uncertainty.