Cognitive Distortions
This distortion manifests as an inability or unwillingness to see shades of gray. Things seen in terms of extremes-either perfect or a total failure.
All-or-nothing/Black and White thinking
This is when you get triggered and have a craving and tell a specific person.
Call your sponsor
This is when you stop talking to your friends or family and stop going out. When you are alone for long periods of time on purpose, you are...
Isolating
This animal has black skin and see through fur.
Polar Bear
This distortion takes one instance/example and generalizes it to an overall pattern. Can lead to overly negative thoughts about yourself and your environment based on only one or two experiences.
Over-generalization
This something you can do to naturally release endorphins.
Exercise
This is when you talk about past-using in a positive light. It is a mental sign of relapse.
Glamorizing
This animal sleeps 18 hours a day. This is not a bear but it is a marsupial.
Koalas
Statements that you make to yourself about what you 'ought' to do or what you 'must' do. Imposing a set of expectations on yourself or others.
Should statements
This is when you take your mind off the craving by doing something else. You could watch tv, or cook, etc.
Distraction
This is when you stop taking responsibility for your side of conflict and instead blame others. When you feel attacked you...
Defensiveness
This sea animal has three hearts, can move 25 miles/hour, and can taste with its arms.
Octopus
Binocular trick that skews your perspective. Involves exaggerating or making small the meaning, importance, or likelihood of things.
Magnification/Catastrophizing or Minimization
There are three forms of this: mental, physical, and self-soothing. This brings you back to the present moment when you are disassociating.
Grounding
This is when you start to think about where you are going to get you DOC and when.
Planning your relapse
The females of these animals hunt 90% of the time and the males' primary job is protection.
Lions
This distortion involves assigning blame to yourself without any logical reason to believe you are to blame.
Personalization
This is when you take time to breathe, slow down, and clear your mind.
Meditation/Prayer
This is when you deceive by omitting the truth or telling falsehoods
Lying
A group of these birds is called a parliament.
Owls