Name that distortion
The belief that things should be a certain way. “I should always be friendly”
“should statements”
Thinking in absolutes such as “always”, “never” or “every”. I never do a good job on anything
All or nothing thinking
Mark is stuck in traffic on his way to work. He immediately starts thinking, "This traffic is unbearable. I'm going to be late, and I'll probably get fired. My whole career is going to fall apart because of this traffic jam."
Catastrophizing
In the group therapy session, John describes feeling like a burden to others because of his depression.
Personalization
“If I don't do this perfectly, i've failed completely”
“I may not do this perfectly, but I can still make progress and learn from my mistakes”
Seeing the worst possible outcomes of situations
Catastrophizing
Interpreting the meaning of a situation with little or no evidence or Interpreting the thoughts and beliefs of others without adequate evidence
Jumping to conclusions/Mind Reading
Thomas waves at his friend in the cafeteria, but his friend doesn't wave back. Thomas thinks, "She must be mad at me. I must have done something to upset her," without any evidence or confirmation.
Mind Reading
During group, Leo shared about how he often cancels plans with friends because he believes he "should" always be able to handle social situations without feeling anxious. He expresses frustration with himself and says, "I should be able to go out and enjoy time with my friends like everyone else. There's something wrong with me for feeling this way."
Should Statements
“I didn't get the job I applied for, so I'll never find a job”
“this one opportunity didn't work out, but there are many other job opportunities I can pursue”
Making broad interpretations from a single or few events. “I felt awkward during my job interview. I am always so awkward”
Overgeneralization
The expectation that a situation will turn out badly without adequate evidence
Fortune Telling
Sarah feels anxious about an upcoming presentation at work. She thinks, "I feel so nervous; therefore, I must be unprepared and will definitely mess up." Sarah is assuming that her feelings accurately reflect the reality of the situation, when in fact, nervousness is a common reaction even when well-prepared, and her emotions don't necessarily reflect the objective truth of her performance.
Emotional Reasoning
Alex has been attending therapy groups to address feelings of low self-esteem and social anxiety. During group, the group leader commends Alex on the noticeable progress made in expressing emotions and engaging more in social activities. However, Alex responds by disqualifying the positives, saying, "Well, I guess I spoke up a bit more, but it doesn't really matter. I still feel awkward, and people probably just pretend to like me. It's not like I'm actually better or anything."
Disqualifying the positives
“If I make a mistake during the presentation, everyone will think I'm incompetent”
“its normal to make small mistakes, and most people won't notice or care. I can recover and still do well”
The assumption that emotions reflect the way things really are. “I feel like a bad friend, therefore I must be a bad friend.”
Emotional Reasoning
Recognizing only negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positives.
Disqualifying the positive
Emma, a student, scored 95% on her math exam. Instead of feeling proud of her achievement, she thinks, "I'm a total failure because I didn't get a perfect score."
All or nothing thinking
During group Leslie shared feelings of hopelessness after being in group for two weeks and believing that she will never be able to overcome her target behaviors. She shares “Therapy is not going to fix me and I will never reach my goals”
Fortune telling thinking
4. “I bet my friend is upset with me because they haven't replied to my message”
a. “they may be busy or distracted. I can ask them directly if something’s wrong”
The belief that one is responsible for events outside of their own control
Personalization
The belief that acts will influence unrelated situations. “I am a good person- bad things shouldn’t happen to me”
Magical thinking
Christina is a highschooler who recently joined a new school. On her first day, she tripped and spilled her lunch in the cafeteria. A few students nearby chuckled, and she noticed a couple of them exchanging glances. "I'm such a loser. Nobody at this school likes me, and I'll never fit in."
Overgeneralization
Mary shares during process group that “been feeling so stressed lately. I'm convinced that if I don't get straight A's this semester, something bad is going to happen. Like, my parents might lose their jobs or my little brother could get sick. It's like the universe depends on my grades to keep everything in balance."
Magical Thinking
“my colleague is in a bad mood today; it’s because I didn’t help them with a task.”
“my colleague’s mood may have nothing to do with me. They might be dealing with their own stress or challenges today”