Cognitive Distortions
Seeing things in black-and-white, with no middle ground
All-or-Nothing Thinking
"If I don't get this job, my life is over"
Catastrophizing
Used to examine thoughts and feelings about a situation, and the evidence for/against them, using a set of 7 prompts
Thought Record
"I’m bad at coping”
“I’m learning coping skills, and it takes practice”
Assuming you know what others are thinking without evidence
Mind Reading
"Everyone else in the group has it together except me"
Mental Filter
A quick version of the thought record - identifying an automatic thought, naming the cognitive distortion, and developing a rational response
Triple Column Technique
“If I feel anxious, I won't be able to handle this”
“Anxiety is uncomfortable, not dangerous - and I’ve handled it before.”
Expecting the worst possible outcome and treating it as a certainty
Catastrophizing
"I relapsed, so I've learned nothing in recovery"
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Structured, open-ended questioning technique used to critically examine, challenge, and reframe dysfunctional thoughts
Socratic Questioning
“Everyone is judging me in group”
“I don’t actually know what others are thinking - and most people are focused on themselves”
Taking responsibility for things outside of your control
Personalization
"I'm a failure"
Labeling
Testing a belief through behavior
Behavioral Experiment
“I should be further along by now”
“Recovery isn’t linear, and progress looks different for everyone”
Focusing only on the negative while ignoring the positives
Mental Filter
"My counselor looked tired - she must be annoyed with me"
Mind Reading
Used to challenge and reframe "worst-case scenario" thoughts by exploring the worst, best, and most realistic outcome
Decatastrophizing
“This urge means I’m going to relapse”
“Urges are temporary and not a call to action”