General
Cognitive distortions are misleading or irrational ways of thinking that can lead to negative emotions and behaviors. They are patterns of thinking that are inaccurate, biased, or exaggerated, and can often contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
To fixate on negative aspects of the situation and ignore all the positive ones is what cognitive distortion?
What is Filtering?
“Today is going to be a horrible day”
What is Fortune Telling?
Name two different types of coping strategies you can use to cope with cognitive distortions
1. Use Socratic questioning / Challenge Questions
2. Use thought logs
3. Replace/Reframe thoughts with more balanced language
Name 2 causes of cognitive distortions
Core beliefs, Influences/Role Models, Anxiety, Societal expectations, Culture, Personality traits, Low self-esteem, Trauma, or Past Experiences
To take a single event or limited experience and assume it reflects a broader, ongoing pattern is what distortion?
Overgeneralization
"They didn’t reply to my message, so I must have
upset them.”
“He did not smile when he passed me. He hates me”
Mind-reading
This coping skill involves asking, “What evidence for
and against this thought?”
Reality Testing
Thinking fallacies, Faulty thinking, Cognitive errors, Mental traps
What are other terms for cognitive distortions?
Define All-or-Nothing / Dichotomous Thinking / Black-and-white Thinking / Binary Thinking / Absolutes
Perceive situations or people on polar extremes. There is no middle ground. Either good or bad, failure or success.
“My child is struggling in school because I’m a bad parent.”
Personalization
Asking yourself for alternative explanations can combat what cognitive distortion?
Mind-reading or Personalization
True or False: Cognitive distortions are intentional lies people tell themselves.
False. They are often automatic thought patterns that feel true in the moment.
Define Magnification & Minimization
Exaggerating the importance of negative events and downplaying positive ones.
“Anyone could have done that, so it’s not really an achievement.”
“They said I did a good job, but they were just being nice out of pitty”
“I only passed the test because it was easy.”
“The promotion was just luck"
Disqualifying the Positive
What is one goal-directed thinking question you can ask yourself?
“Is thinking in this way helping me to feel good or my goals?”
“What can I do that will help me solve this problem?”
“Is there something I can learn from this situation to help me do better next time?”
True or False: Negative thoughts or cognitive distortions are the only causes of low mood and maladaptive behaviors
False. The relationship is reciprocal. Thoughts, Mood, and Behaviors impact each other
What is the difference between Overgeneralization and Labeling?
In labeling, you take a single behavior or event and turn it into a fixed identity or global judgment about yourself or someone else. (Instead of saying you did something wrong, you decide that you are something negative). Whereas, overgeneralization is not about identity but a pattern of events due to a single, isolated event. (A friend betrayed my trust, so I can't trust anyone.)
Provide an example of Emotional Reasoning
Ideas:
“I feel anxious, so something bad must be
about to happen.”
“I feel overwhelmed, so I can’t handle this.”
"I feel like a terrible parent, therefore I must be a terrible parent."
One question you can ask yourself if you are catastrophizing?
“Is this situation as bad as I am making it out to be?”
“What is the worst thing that could that could happen?
"How likely is it?”
“What is the most likely/ best thing to happen?”