Cognitive Distortions
This cognitive distortion sees things in black and white categories
What is All or Nothing Thinking?
“My friend is bad at me, therefore they are a bad person”
What is All or Nothing Thinking?
“I answered this question wrong, so I’m a failure”
What is All or Nothing Thinking?
“They should know better”
What are Should Statements?
Going through a breakup and thinking, “I’ll never find love again.”
What is Overgeneralization?
This cognitive distortion sees a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat
What is Overgeneralization?
One bad thing happens to you, and you think, “Nothing ever goes right for me”
What is Overgeneralization?
“I should be over this by now”
What are Should Statements?
Someone compliments your sweater, but you think, “they were just being nice”
What is Minimization?
I feel really embarrassed, therefore, I am embarrassing
What is Emotional Reasoning?
This cognitive distortion assumes that someone is reacting negatively to you without facts to support your conclusion.
What is Mind Reading?
They did not text me back immediately. They are losing interest.
A friend is being quiet. They must be mad at me.
What is Mind Reading?
I didn’t make that shot at the game; I suck at hockey
What is Labeling?
Making a small mistake on an exam and thinking, “I am going to fail all my classes, and never go to college”
What is Catastrophizing?
This cognitive distortion assumes the worst outcome
What is Catastrophizing?
“They only gave me the promotion because no one else wanted it”
What is Discounting the Positives?
Your presentation went well, but you still focused on the one word you mispronounced.
I feel jealous; therefore, my partner is cheating on me.
What is Emotional Reasoning?
I got an A on this test, but I got 2 questions wrong
What is Mental Filter?
This cognitive distortion predicts that things will turn out badly based on little evidence to support a prediction
What is Fortune Telling?
“I blew it on that last match.”
What is Mental Filter?
This relationship is going to fail, so I might as well leave now
Your partner broke up with you and you assume all the blame. “If only I did everything he asked, our relationship wouldn’t have ended.”
You win a soccer game and think, “I only won because I got lucky”
What is Discounting the Positives?