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Cognitive Distortions

Humans are thinking animals. We constantly use our brains to make sense of the world—applying logic and the lessons of experience to understand what’s happening, decide what to do, and to get an idea of what other people are thinking and what they are likely to do. We draw conclusions and make inferences.

In fact,  we live in a world that our thoughts construct. This same situation or encounter can seem happy to one person, sad to another, dangerous or safe, full of pitfalls or of promise, depending on how they think. It’s a fascinating process, but sometimes it goes awry.

What are cognitive distortions? 

We all think illogically at times, draw the wrong conclusions, misinterpret others’ actions or motives, or judge ourselves too harshly.  Certain types of thinking errors are particularly widespread. These repetitive patterns are called cognitive distortions.

List of cognitive distortions

There are several common cognitive distortions:

  • Catastrophizing. You predict that things will turn out badly, without considering other possibilities. For example: oYu’re worried about a presentation at work and tell yourself: “I’ll be so upset, I won’t be able to function at all.”
  • All-or-nothing thinking. Everything is black-and-white. There’s no room for subtlety, nuance, or a mix of good and not-so-good.
  • Mind-reading. You believe you know what others are thinking, and it’s usually something negative about you.
  • Disqualifying the positive. I you do something well, or good things happen, you tell yourself they don’t count.
  • Emotional reasoning. You mistake your feelings for the way things are. If your gut tells you that someone has bad motives, you assume it’s true.   
  • Labeling. You put a negative, simplistic label on another person—or yourself. A common example is “I’m a loser” or “a failure.”
  • Magnification and minimization. In evaluating yourself, other people, or a situation, you amplify negative aspects, or consider good things insignificant.
  • Mental filter. You find a negative detail, focus on it, and give it excessive importance. E.g. One low rating in an otherwise glowing job evaluation equals a bad review.
  • Overgeneralization. You draw sweeping conclusions from a single bad experience or outcome. Dropping the ball once in a baseball game means you’re a terrible player.
  • Personalization. You take self-criticism to an extreme: Any time something bad happens, it’s your fault.
  • “Should,” “must,” and “ought” statements. You make strict, inflexible judgments on what people say or do, or subject yourself to overly rigorous standards. The result is anger or indignation on the one hand, guilt, shame, or self-contempt on the other.
  • Tunnel vision. You see only one aspect—something negative—about a person or situation.

Once you become aware of them, you’ll find  cognitive distortions examples everywhere. For example, you’re at a store and the salesperson is rude to you. You may label this person as rude, without considering that he or she may be tired, or simply having a bad day. Or you may personalize the event, concluding that you did something wrong to get this response.

You may do poorly on an exam and think, “I always mess up.” Or mind-read: “Now the professor thinks I’m an idiot.” And finally, catastrophize: “I’ll flunk out.”

The power of negative thinking

Most cognitive distortions are simply exaggerations or illogical applications of essential thinking processes. We ordinarily generalize from limited experience to make sense of the world, take responsibility for our actions, and do our best to understand how others feel. Our hearts are sometimes quicker than our minds to understand people and situations. Considering the possibility of a bad outcome is a prudent thing to do.

But how we think determines how we feel, and negative thoughts generate negative emotions. Personalizing and mind-reading damage your self-esteem. Mental filtering to focus on the negative and minimizing positive things will put you in a dismal mood. Catastrophizing and dismissing your ability to deal with difficulties in the past will likely lead to anxiety.

It works both ways. If you’re already anxious, you’ll  more likely see dire outcomes in difficult situations. If you’re depressed, it’s easier to disqualify positive things, magnify negative events, and castigate yourself for not doing what you believe you should have done.

Cognitive distortions are at the heart of problems like clinical depression and anxiety disorders. But they can also cause or amplify ordinary nervousness, low moods, and day-to-day difficulties.  

Indecisiveness, for example, may reflect all-or-nothing thinking (If a decision isn’t completely right, it’s all wrong), catastrophizing (if I make the wrong decision, it will be terrible), and labeling (I’m just bad at decisions). “Should” statements (I should know everything before I start this job) and all-or-nothing thinking can lead to the paralysis of perfectionism.

What can be done?

The first step toward reducing the impact of cognitive distortions on your life is becoming aware of them. This alone can help you to look at your thoughts more objectively, and recognize that what you think and feel do not necessarily reflect the way things are.

You might start by keeping track of your moods. When you notice that you’re feeling   down or anxious, ask yourself what you were thinking. It might help to remember the list of cognitive distortions and whether your thoughts fit into one or another category. Are you personalizing? Catastrophizing? Overgeneralizing?  Using a mental filter to see only the negative side of things?

Ask yourself: what’s the evidence for your thought? Was the mishap entirely your fault? Do you truly make the wrong decision every time?  What are the actual chances you’ll lose your job because you were late for work?

Most people find it useful to write things down.  Carry a small notebook or use your phone (there are apps that can be helpful).

Several things to keep in mind

Identifying your thoughts can be very difficult. They come and go in an instant, though the mood may linger, and catching them on the fly is something we’re not used to doing.

Don’t expect to stop the same distortions from coming back. They’re called “automatic thoughts” for a reason. The goal is not to make errors go away altogether, but to deprive them of their power.

Do you need help?

Working on your own may not be enough. If you find that cognitive distortions continually plague you and that your moods or anxiety make you miserable, keep you from doing what you want, and interfere with relationships or work, it may be time to seek professional help.

Cognitive distortions are a central concern of cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT.   There’s more to it, but helping you become aware of these thinking patterns, exploring how they relate to your beliefs about yourself and the world, and changing them in realistic and effective ways, are basic goals.

Therapists trained in CBT can be found in directories offered by professional organizations:

In trying CBT on your own, self-help books can be useful.

Lists of these are offered by the Beck Institute: https://cares.beckinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/06/Recommended-Reading-for-Individuals.pdf?_gl=1*46jag5*_up*MQ..*_ga*NTA5NzA1ODAyLjE3NDY3MTk0MzI.*_ga_61J27G9LMB*czE3NDY3MjE4NDUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NDY3MjE4NDUkajAkbDAkaDEyNTkwMzQxMQ

And ABCT:  https://www.abct.org/self-help-book-recommendations/

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