Do you experience this?
Predictive Anxiety is something I wrote about earlier this year. I based the model on ADHD, especially the way uneven executive function can make life feel less predictable and keep the mind on alert.
Since then,a few people who are not neurodivergent have said the model also describes their experience.
The pattern is fairly simple and often looks like this.... when things feel uncertain, alertness increases. Attenton stays fixed on what has not been resolved, the mind starts running through possible outcomes and mental pressure builds.
For people with ADHD, this might look like changes in focus, memory or planning making the cycle more likely but the process itself may not be limited to ADHD.
It may also happen during long periods of uncertainty, repeated stress, unclear expectations or a loss of control.
So the model started with ADHD however the experience may be much more widely shared.
Does this pattern reflect your experience too?