examples 101
Joan feels like a failure at her eating habits. Every time she eats something that isn't part of her meal plan, instead of acknowledging that she made a mistake and trying to move past it, she gives up and binges for the rest of the day figuring she has already blown it
All-or-nothing thinking
This type of thinking involves viewing things in absolute terms. Everything is black or white, everything or nothing.
Cynthia has to give a presentation to her colleagues at work. She gets sad because she knows she is going to do terrible, even though she is prepared for it.
Fortune Telling
The expectation that a situation will turn out badly without adequate evidence.
What are the two simplest methods to challenge cognitive distortions?
Identify the Distortion: Write them down.
Examine the Evidence: Instead of assuming that your thought is true, look at the facts.
You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?
All the people were married.
"I failed, so I'm a failure."
I didn't do well this time, but that doesn't define me.
Sophia forgot to return a book to the library before it's due date and when she got a fine in the mail, she kept repeating in her head that she is such an idiot for forgetting to return one book on time.
Labeling
A cognitive distortion that involves making a judgment about yourself or someone else as a person, rather than seeing the behavior as something the person did that doesn't define them as an individual.
Lilly has difficulty completing tasks at school and often tells herself "I really should be able to get this done, it's not that hard. There must be something wrong with me."
"Should" Statements
These statements are self-defeating ways we talk to ourselves that emphasize unattainable standards. Then, when we fall short of our own ideas, we fail in our own eyes, which can create panic and anxiety
What is the double standard method?
Instead of putting yourself down, talk to yourself with compassionate.
I have keys, but no locks. I have space, but no rooms. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I?
keyboard
"It’s all my fault my team lost the game."
One person doesn’t win or lose a game; we all played together
Mark was struggling with fatigue, low motivation, and a feelings of worthlessness, but when asked by his friend how he was doing, he responded "I'm doing fine, no problems, just chilling."
Minimization
Downplaying the importance of events, achievements, or mental/physical symptoms.
Chad has a crush on this girl that he sees everyday at the coffee shop on his way to work. He decides that he won't speak to her or ask her out on a date because "She probably thinks I'm a freak. She would never date someone like me".
Mind reading
When you think someone is going to react in a particular way, or you believe someone is thinking things that they aren't.
What is The Semantic Method?
Be specific and change the way you word things. This method is helpful for “should statements”. Instead of telling yourself “I shouldn’t have made that mistake”, you can say “It would be better is I hadn’t made that mistake”.
This belongs to you, but everyone else uses it.
Your name.
"I just know I’ll fail my test tomorrow."
I don’t know what my grade will be for sure, but I can study and try my best
Jenna feels ashamed and embarrassed about failing several of her college classes. She tells herself that since she feels like a failure, she "must really be a worthless loser that will never amount to anything."
Emotional reasoning
A way of judging yourself or your circumstances based on your emotions. You assume that your negative emotions reflect the way things really are.
Joel was awarded employee of the month due to being the salesperson with the most customers that month. When his co-workers are complimenting his work ethic, Joel responds by making self-deprecating comments like "It's really not that big of a deal, anyone could do what I did."
Discounting the positive
Is a cognitive distortion that involves ignoring or invalidating good things that have happened to you.
How do you Think in Shades of Grey?
Instead of thinking of things in black or white, evaluate things on a range of 1 to 100.
I walked out in the rain with nothing to cover me, and not a single hair gets wet. How is it possible?
I'm bald.
"Everyone thinks I’m weird."
I don’t know what everyone thinks, but my real friends like me for who I am
Ben becomes terribly upset when he notices that his tire is flat. He tells himself, "Just my luck! Bad things like this are always happening to me."
Overgeneralization
It happens when you make a rule after a single event or a series of coincidences. The words "always" or "never" frequently appear in the sentence.
LITTLE MISS JENN was getting irritated while sitting in traffic on her way to work. She thought to herself "What a mess, obviously people need to learn how to drive."
Jumping to Conclusions
Interpreting the meaning of a situation when there is little to no evidence. Interpreting things negatively when there are no facts to support that conclusion.
How can Re-attribution help you challenge a cognitive distortion?
Focus on solving the problem instead of using up all your energy blaming yourself and feeling guilty.
Which shoe did Cinderella leave behind at the ball?
left
DOUBLE WHAMY! What should we do if we notice ourselves having cognitive distortions??
Identify it, take a breath, and reframe the negative thought!