[humanser] 15 common cognitive distortions- how our thoughts influence our mental health

[Mary Ann Robinson]

15 common cognitive distortions- how our thoughts influence our mental health
What's a 'cognitive distortion' and why do so many people have them? Cognitive distortions
are ways that our thought patterns can convince us that something is true or false.
These are typically thoughts that occur automatically, and are usually used to reinforce
negative thinking or emotions.  Our automatic thoughts can feel rational and accurate,
and most of all, they can feel
factual.
 But with examination, we can often find evidence that our thoughts are NOT factual,
but based on a set of negative thought patterns that have developed based on our
feelings, rather than factual evidence.
Cognitive distortions are at the core of what many cognitive-behavioral and other
kinds of therapists try and help a person learn to change in psychotherapy. By learning
to correctly identify distorted thoughts, a person can then respond to the disorted
thoughts by balancing them with thoughts that are more balanced, and based on fact/reality
rather than negative feelings. By refuting negative thoughts over and over again,
they will slowly diminish overtime and be automatically replaced by more rational,
balanced thinking.
Aaron Beck
first proposed the theory behind cognitive distortions and
David Burns
 was responsible for popularizing it with common names and examples for the distortions.
1. Filtering.
We take the negative details and magnify them while filtering out all positive aspects
of a situation. For instance, a person may pick out a single, unpleasant detail and
dwell on it exclusively so that their vision of reality becomes darkened or distorted.
2. Polarized Thinking.
Things are either "black-or-white." We have to be perfect or we're a failure-there
is no middle ground. You place people or situations in "either/or" categories, with
no shades of gray or allowing for the complexity of most people and situations. If
your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure.
3. Overgeneralization.
We come to a general conclusion based on a single incident or piece of evidence.
If something bad happens once, we expect it to happen over and over again. A person
may see a single, unpleasant event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.
4. Jumping to Conclusions.
Without individuals saying so, we know what they are feeling and why they act the
way they do. In particular, we are able to determine how people are feeling toward
us. For example, a person may conclude that someone is reacting negatively toward
them and don't actually bother to find out if they are correct. Another example is
a person may anticipate that things will turn out badly, and will feel convinced
that their prediction is already an established fact.
5. Catastrophizing.
We expect disaster to strike, no matter what. This is also referred to as "magnifying
or minimizing." We hear about a problem and use what if questions (e.g., "What if
tragedy strikes?" "What if it happens to me?").
For example, a person might exaggerate the importance of insignificant events (such
as their mistake, or someone else's achievement). Or they may inappropriately shrink
the magnitude of significant events until they appear tiny (for example, a person's
own desirable qualities or someone else's imperfections).
6. Personalization.
Thinking that everything people do or say is some kind of reaction to us. We also
compare ourselves to others trying to determine who is smarter, better looking, etc.
A person sees themselves as the cause of some negative external event that they were
in fact, not resposible for. For example, "We were late to the dinner party and caused
the hostess to overcook the meal. If I had only pushed my husband to leave on time,
this wouldn't have happened."
7. Control Fallacies.
If we feel externally controlled, we see ourselves as helpless a victim of fate.
For example, "I can't help it if the quality of the work is poor, my boss demanded
I work overtime on it." The fallacy of internal control has us assuming responsibility
for the pain and happiness of everyone around us. For example, "Why aren't you happy?
Is it because of something I did?"
8. Fallacy of Fairness.
We feel resentful because we think we know what is fair, but other people won't agree
with us. We are convinced that "Life is always fair."  People who go through life
applying a measuring ruler against every situation judging its "fairness" will often
feel badly and negative because of it.
9. Blaming.
We hold other people responsible for our pain, or take the other track and blame
ourselves for every problem. For example, "Stop making me feel bad about myself!"
Nobody can "make" us feel any particular way - only we have control over our own
emotions and emotional reactions.
10. Shoulds.
We have a list of ironclad rules about how others and we should behave. People who
break the rules make us angry, and we feel guilty when we violate these rules. A
person may often believe they are trying to motivate themselves with shoulds and
shouldn'ts, as if they have to be punished before they can do anything.
For example, "I really should exercise. I shouldn't be so lazy." Musts and oughts
are also offenders. The emotional consequence is guilt, which does not propel us
to change, but only serves to make us feel badly.
11. Emotional Reasoning.
We believe that what we feel
must be true automatically. If we feel stupid and boring, then we must
be
 stupid and boring. You assume that your unhealthy emotions reflect the way things
really are - "I feel it, therefore it must be true."
12. Fallacy of Change.
We expect that other people will change to suit us if we just pressure or cajole
them enough. We need to change people because our hopes for happiness seem to depend
entirely on them.
13. Global Labeling.
We generalize one or two qualities into a negative global judgment. These are extreme
forms of generalizing, and are also referred to as "labeling" and "mislabeling."
Instead of describing an error in context of a specific situation, a person will
attach an unhealthy label to themselves.
For example, they may say, "I'm a loser" in a situation where they failed at a specific
task. When someone else's behavior rubs a person the wrong way, they may attach an
unhealthy label to him, such as "He's a real jerk." Mislabeling involves describing
an event with language that is highly colored and emotionally loaded. For example,
instead of saying someone drops her children off at daycare every day, a person who
is mislabeling might say that "she abandons her children to strangers."
14. Always Being Right.
We are continually on trial to prove that our opinions and actions are correct. Being
wrong is unthinkable and we will go to any length to demonstrate our rightness. For
example, "I don't care how badly arguing with me makes you feel, I'm going to win
this argument no matter what because I'm right." Being right often is more important
than the feelings of others around a person who engages in this cognitive distortion,
even loved ones.
15. Heaven's Reward Fallacy.
We expect our sacrifice and self-denial to pay off, as if someone is keeping score.
We feel bitter when the reward doesn't come.
References:
Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapies and emotional disorders. New York: New American
Library.
Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York: New American Library.