Name That ANT
My brother is ALWAYS stealing my stuff!
All of Nothing
All or Nothing
An example would be something that is black or white
What are the 4 most common ANTS?
All of Nothing, Mind Reading, Jumping to Conclusions, and Catastrophizing
You notice that you had the thought, "I will never be good enough."
Catch
I have to be perfect.
Something like: It is okay for me to make mistakes because they help me learn.
My friend looked at me and whispered something to the person next to them. They must be talking about me.
Mind reading
Mind Reading
An example would be assuming what someone is thinking
What is an ANT?
An Automatic Negative Thought
You ask yourself, "Is this thought true? Is it helpful?"
Check
Nobody will love me after I embarrassed myself like that.
Something like: I am a good person that deserves to be loved, even if I made a mistake.
If I don't win this football game, I will never make the team!
Jumping to conclusion or Catastrophizing
Jumping to Conclusions
An example would be fortune telling
What do ANTS do?
Sneak into your mind and make you feel bad
You tell yourself, "Even if I didn't get the grade I wanted in this class doesn't mean I am bad at school."
Change
My friend must think I'm weird.
Why do bad things always happen to me?
All or nothing and Catastrophizing
Catastrophizing
An example would be assuming the worst will happen
What are the 3 steps to stopping an ANT?
Catch, Check, Change
You notice you had the thought, "I will never be able to change."
Catch
It's too late for me to get into college.
Something like: Even if college is not in my future, there are so many other things I will be able to accomplish with my life.
I won't be able to make friends in my new school.
Jumping to conclusions (or Fortune Telling)
Try to come up with another example of an ANT!
Some examples could be: Blaming, Avoidance, Minimizing, or Excuse Making
What is another phrase for ANTS?
Cognitive Distortions
You tell yourself, "Even professional athletes made mistakes from time to time, so it is okay if I make them too."
Change
I always mess up.
Something like: There are times when I do not mess up that I should try to remember.