by UB's Joyce Marter, LCPC:
A man I just met with said the more he lives his life, the more uncertain things seem to him. He told me that in his youth he thought the opposite would be true - that as we get older, life would become more defined, solid, clear and certain. Perhaps this phenomenon is similar to the thought that the more we learn, the more we are aware of what we don’t know. As we move through life, we can become increasingly aware of all the unknowns and all that is beyond our control.
Uncertainty and ambiguity are aspects of life that can be extremely overwhelming and difficult to tolerate emotionally. We can experience stress, anxiety and fear when facing life challenges for which the outcome is uncertain. For example, whether you will get that new job, find your life partner, have enough money to make that next mortgage payment, have children, or the results of a doctor's visit.