Understanding Cognitive Distortions

 

What are Cognitive Distortions?

Cognitive distortions are irrational or biased patterns of thinking that often exacerbate negative emotions and reinforce unhelpful behaviors. These patterns distort reality and can contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. Identifying and challenginga woman experiencing cognitive distortions these distortions is a key aspect of CBT.

Below is a list of common cognitive distortions, their descriptions, and examples.

  1. All-or-Nothing Thinking (Black-and-White Thinking)

Description: Viewing situations in extreme, binary terms (e.g., success vs. failure) without recognizing the gray areas in between.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “If I don’t get an A on this test, I’m a total failure.”
  • Reframe: “Even if I don’t get an A, I can still do well overall and learn from this.”
  1. Overgeneralization

Description: Drawing broad, negative conclusions based on a single event or piece of evidence.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “I didn’t get the job. I’ll never be successful in my career.”
  • Reframe: “This one rejection doesn’t mean I won’t succeed. Many people face setbacks before finding the right job.”
  1. Mental Filtering

Description: Focusing exclusively on the negative details while ignoring the positives in a situation.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “I got one critical comment during my presentation. It was a total disaster.”
  • Reframe: “Most of the feedback was positive, and I can use the criticism to improve next time.”
  1. Discounting the Positive

Description: Dismissing positive experiences or achievements as insignificant or unearned.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “They only said I did a good job because they felt sorry for me.”
  • Reframe: “I worked hard and deserve recognition for my effort.”
  1. Jumping to Conclusions

Description: Making negative assumptions without sufficient evidence. This includes two subtypes:

  • Mind Reading: Assuming you know what others are thinking.
  • Fortune Telling: Predicting negative outcomes.
    Examples:
  • Mind Reading: “She didn’t say hello; she must be mad at me.”
  • Fortune Telling: “I just know I’ll mess up the presentation.”
  • Reframe: “I don’t know why she didn’t say hello—it might have nothing to do with me.”
  1. Catastrophizing

Description: Exaggerating the significance of problems and expecting the worst possible outcome.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “If I make one mistake, I’ll lose my job and end up homeless.”
  • Reframe: “One mistake won’t ruin everything. I can correct it and move forward.”
  1. Emotional Reasoning

Description: Believing that emotions reflect reality.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “I feel like a failure, so I must be one.”
  • Reframe: “Feeling this way doesn’t mean it’s true. My emotions are valid, but they don’t define my worth.”
  1. Should Statements

Description: Holding rigid expectations for yourself or others, often leading to guilt or frustration.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “I should always be able to handle things on my own.”
  • Reframe: “It’s okay to ask for help when I need it.”
  1. Labeling and Mislabeling

Description: Assigning global, negative labels to yourself or others based on isolated events.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “I forgot the meeting—I’m so stupid.”
  • Reframe: “I made a mistake, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. Everyone forgets things sometimes.”
  1. Personalization

Description: Taking excessive responsibility for external events or others’ actions.
Example:

  • Distorted Thought: “My friend is upset; it must be because of something I did.”
  • Reframe: “Her mood might have nothing to do with me.”
  1. Magnification and Minimization

Description:

  • Magnification: Exaggerating the importance of problems or mistakes.
  • Minimization: Downplaying your strengths or achievements.
    Example:
  • Distorted Thought: “Messing up this report means I’m terrible at my job.”
  • Reframe: “One report doesn’t define my abilities. I can address this issue and move on.”
  1. Blaming

Description: Attributing all responsibility for a problem to yourself (self-blame) or others (external blame), without considering other factors.
Example:

  • Self-Blame: “It’s all my fault my team didn’t meet the deadline.”
  • External Blame: “It’s their fault we’re behind schedule.”
  • Reframe: “There are many factors involved—I’ll focus on what I can control.”