Distorted Thinking

Types of Distorted Thinking

100

What is the thinking distortion when you see things in a black or white category. If your preformance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a failure.

All or Nothing Thinking

200

What is the thinking distortion when you see a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

What is Overgeneralization

300

What is the thinking distortion you use when you make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts that convincingly support your conclusion?

What is Jumping to Conclusions

400

What is the thinking distortion you use when you pick out a single negative defeat and dwell on it exclusively

What is Selective Focus

500

What is the thinking distortion you use when you see yourself as the cause of some negative external event which in fact you were not primarily responsible for

What is Personalization

Examples

100

I failed my Algebra test and now I feel like I'm terrible at Math.

What is All of Nothing Thinking.

200

I use phrases like, "I always mess up my relationships". "I'm never a good cook".

What is Overgeneralizing

300

After I was arrested, I told my family, “It’s just one arrest. It’s not that bad.”

What is minimization

400

“I feel overwhelmed and hopeless, therefore my problems must be impossible to solve.”

What is Emotional Reasoning

500

After asking to give a speech I say, "I will never give a speech. I might stumble and people would laugh."

What is Catastrophizing

Types of Distorted Thinking

100

When we play the victim in situations to avoid taking blame of our part.

What is Actor Vs Observer

200

“When I entered AA or NA, I thought the people in the meeting were crazy and I refused to listen to what they had to say.”

What is Closed Thinking

300

“If I got arrested for herion, I can still smoke weed because it didn’t get me in trouble.”

What is Concrete Thinking

400

My counselor told me I am working hard on my phase requirements and sharing often, but I need to be more honest about my past in groups. When the judge asked me what the team thought of my progress, I told him they don’t think I am honest.

What is Selective Focus

500

What is the thinking distortion you use when you assume that your negative emotions reflect the way things really are?

What is Emotional Reasoning.

How to Defuse Distorted Thinking

100

For All or Nothing Thinking do this:

Judge only what's occurring in that moment, not your overall performance

200

With Overgeneralization replace words like-Never, always, nobody, everybody with this word:

Some--"Sometimes I do fairly well. Some people like me. At least Somewhat".

300

When you are using the cognitive distortion, Emotional Reasoning (Feel it, therefore it must be true) Ask yourself this question:

What would 100% inadequate look like?

400

When you find yourself dwelling on the negative do this:

Think about the things you can do to change your situation. What do you have control over?

500

With personalization ask yourself this question

Why might someone behave that way? Is it possible this really isn't about me?

Random

100

What are examples of overgenralization?

Never, always, nobody, everybody

200

How many thinking distortions did we cover?

10

300

I already had a sip of alcohol, so screw it, might as well use my DOC.

What distortion is this?

What is magnification?

400

When the group covers material that I just talked about with my counselor, I know it was directed at me. What thinking distortion is this?

What is Personalization?

500

What are the two types of Jumping to Conclusion?

What are Mind Readers and Fortune Tellers