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

[Susan Tabor]

Thanks for posting this, Mary Ann! This would make a great educational
handout.  I love reading your posts and find them very useful!
Warmest Regards,
Susan Tabor

-----Original Message-----
From: humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Mary Ann Robinson
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2012 6:13 PM
To: Human Services Mailing List
Subject: [humanser] 15 common cognitive distortions- how our thoughts
influence our mental health

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.
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