Cognitive Distortions
This distortion involves seeing your own flaws as huge and others’ flaws as minor or excusable.
What is magnification and minimization?
“I messed up at work—I’m a complete failure.”
Labeling
Believing that a negative event will lead to the worst possible outcome.
What is catastrophizing?
“I always ruin relationships.”
Overgeneralization
“This feeling will never go away.”
“Feelings change over time—they don’t last forever.”
Interpreting neutral or ambiguous situations as a personal attack or negative judgment.
What is personalization?
“If I have a craving, I’m going to relapse.”
Catastrophizing
This distortion involves predicting the future as negative without sufficient evidence.
What is fortune telling?
“People are judging me when I walk into group.”
Mind reading
“People are judging me when I walk into group.”
“I don’t actually know what others are thinking.”
Assuming one event defines the entirety of your future experiences.
What is overgeneralization?
“I relapsed once, so I’ll probably never get sober.”
Fortune telling
Taking one negative event and applying it broadly to all situations.
What is overgeneralization?
“I got through the day sober, but that doesn’t count.”
Discounting positives
“If they really cared, they would act differently.”
“I can’t control others, only how I respond.”
This distortion involves seeing things as all good or all bad, with no middle ground.
What is black-and-white thinking (all-or-nothing thinking)?
“They didn’t text me back—they must be mad at me.”
Mind reading
This distortion focuses only on the negative details while ignoring the positives.
What is discounting positives?
“Everyone else has it figured out except me.”
Overgeneralizing
“If I’m not perfect, I’m not good enough.”
“Progress is more important than perfection.”
This distortion occurs when someone assumes they know what others are thinking without evidence.
What is mind reading?
“I missed one meeting, so I’m failing recovery.”
All-or-nothing thinking (Black and White)
Believing that because you feel something, it must be true.
What is emotional reasoning?
“I relapsed because my boss stressed me out—it’s their fault.”
Blaming
“They’re in a bad mood—it must be my fault.”
“Their mood may have nothing to do with me.”