Cognitive distortions are patterns of biased or irrational thinking that can lead to negative emotions and behaviors. Here are 15 common examples:
- All-or-Nothing Thinking: Viewing situations in black-and-white categories without recognizing the middle ground or nuances.
- Overgeneralization: Drawing broad conclusions based on limited evidence or a single negative experience.
- Filtering (Selective Abstraction): Focusing exclusively on negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive aspects.
- Jumping to Conclusions: Making assumptions about events or people without evidence, including mind reading (assuming what others are thinking) and fortune-telling (predicting negative outcomes).
- Catastrophizing: Exaggerating the negative consequences of events and expecting the worst possible outcome.
- Personalization: Blaming oneself for events that are beyond one’s control or assuming responsibility for events that are not one’s fault.
- Magnification (Catastrophizing) and Minimization: Exaggerating the importance of negative events and minimizing the importance of positive ones.
- Emotional Reasoning: Assuming that feelings reflect reality. For example, “I feel stupid, so I must be stupid.”
- Should Statements: Holding oneself to strict, unrealistic standards or imposing expectations on others. For example, “I should always be perfect,” or “Others should always treat me fairly.”
- Labeling and Mislabeling: Using overly harsh labels to describe oneself or others based on specific behaviors. For example, instead of recognizing a mistake as a simple error, labeling oneself as a failure.
- Discounting the Positive: Rejecting positive experiences or feedback by minimizing their importance or relevance.
- Blaming: Holding others responsible for one’s own problems or emotions, without considering personal accountability.
- Fallacy of Change: Expecting others to change to meet one’s own needs or expecting oneself to change others.
- Control Fallacies: Believing one is either powerless or responsible for events outside of one’s control.
- Comparisons: Comparing oneself unfavorably to others, leading to feelings of inadequacy or envy.
Recognizing these cognitive distortions is the first step in challenging and changing them, leading to healthier thought patterns and emotional well-being.