Cognitive Distortions MIND Traps
Rather than describing the specific behavior,You assign a label to someone or yourself that put them in absolute and unalterable terms
Instead of thinking "I made a mistake,"you think "I'm a loser." IF a roommate doesn't do a chore ,you think, "He lazy
Labeling
Assuming the intentions or the thoughts of others without checking out your assumptions. You pass a friend at the Student Center who doesn’t say hello and you think he/she doesn’t like you. Fortune telling - Predicting how things will turn before they happen and
Mind reading
Focusing on the worst possible outcome, however unlikely, or thinking that a situation is unbearable or impossible when it is really just uncomfortable. “If I don’t check my homework 10 times before handing it in, I’ll fail the assignment and flunk out of school.”
Catastrophizing
people have made a commitment to make a change. Their motivation for changing is reflected by statements such as: “I’ve got to do something about this — this is serious. Something has to change. What can I do?”
This is sort of a research phase. They gather information (sometimes by reading things like this) about what they will need to do to change their behavior. Or they will check out websites, organizations and resources that are available to help them in their attempt. Too often, people skip this stage: they try to move directly from contemplation into action and fall flat on their faces because they haven’t adequately researched or accepted what it is going to take to make this major lifestyle change.
Preparation
a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
Emotion
Mistaking feelings for facts.Assuming that what you feel about yourself,other,or life is factual and true.
Emotional Reasoning
Predicting how things will turn before they happen and believe your prediction is a fact. “You think your professor thinks poorly of you without asking for feedback.
Fortune telling - Predicting how things will turn before they happen and
Comparing yourself selectively with other people so you end up feeling badly about yourself. Another student makes an interesting comment in class and you think, “I’m not as smart as (s)he is, so I’m not going to say anything in this class.”
Self-defeating comparison
Action/Willpower
This is the stage where people are motivated to change their behavior and are actively involved in taking steps to change their bad behavior by using a variety of different techniques. This is the shortest of all the stages. The amount of time people spend in action varies. It generally lasts about 6 months, but it can literally be as short as one hour! This is a stage when people most depend on their own willpower. They are making overt efforts to change the behavior and are at greatest risk for relapse.
Mentally, they review their commitment to themselves and develop plans to deal with both personal and external pressures that may lead to slips. They may use short-term rewards to sustain their motivation, and analyze their behavior change efforts in a way that enhances their self-confidence. People in this stage also tend to be open to receiving help and are also likely to seek support from others (a very important element).
Hopefully, people will then move to:
involves being able to successfully avoid any temptations to return to the bad habit. The goal of this stage is to maintain the new status quo. People in this stage tend to remind themselves of how much progress they have made.
Maintenance
a deeply distressing or disturbing experience.
Trauma
Thinking of things in absolute terms, like "always", "every" or "never". Few aspects of human behavior are so absolute. “If I don’t ace this test, I’ll never get into graduate school” “If I’m not perfect, then I’m worthless.”
All-or-nothing thinking
Focusing exclusively on certain, usually negative or upsetting, aspects of something while ignoring the rest. Selectively paying attention to the negative & discount the positive. You give a class presentation that gets good reviews, but one person makes a critical comment and you focus your attention on that and feel like inadequate.
Mental filter
the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.
addictions
the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost.
a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength.
recovery
a group of people with common experiences or concerns who provide each other with encouragement, comfort, and advice.
Support
Taking isolated cases and using them to make wide generalizations. Assuming a single negative event or bad experience will keep repeating itself in similar situations.
“That person didn’t want to go out with me, so no one will.” d using them to make wi
Overgeneralization
All-or-nothing thinking - Thinking of things in absolute terms, like "always", "every" or "never". Few aspects of human behavior are so absolute. “If I don’t ace this test, I’ll never get into graduate school” “If I’m not perfect, then I’m worthless.”
All-or-nothing thinking
people are not thinking seriously about changing and are not interested in any kind of help. People in this stage tend to defend their current bad habit(s) and do not feel it is a problem. They may be defensive in the face of other people’s efforts to pressure them to change. In AA, this stage is called “denial,” but another way to describe this stage is that people just do not yet see themselves as having a problem.
Precontemplation
The methods a person uses to deal with stressful situations.
Coping skills
a deterioration in someone's state of health after a temporary improvement.
Relapse
Assuming some negative outcome when there is no evidence to support it. Two specific subtypes are also identified: Mind reading - Assuming the intentions or the thoughts of oth
Jumping to conclusions
Magnification and minimization - Inappropriately understating or exaggerating some things (like problems, mistakes, fears or shortcomings) or inappropriately downplay other things (like talents, strengths, and desirable qualities).There is one subtype of magnification: You make a mistake in class and think, “I’ve ruined my reputation!” “I only got an A because the professor feels sorry for me.”
Magnification and minimization
Contemplation
people are on a teeter-totter, weighing the pros and cons of modifying their behavior. Although they think about the negative aspects of their bad habit and the positives associated with changing, they may doubt that the long-term benefits associated with change will outweigh the short-term costs. It might take as little as a couple weeks or as long as a lifetime to get through this stage
Contemplation
Trigger
a cognitive– behavioural approach with the goal of identifying and addressing high-risk situations for relapse and assisting individuals in maintaining desired behavioural changes.
Relapse prevention