Name That Distortion
“I made one mistake, so the entire day is ruined.”
What is all-or-nothing/black-and-white thinking?
This distortion occurs when we act as though we already know what will happen in the future.
What is fortune-telling?
This describes repeatedly thinking about the same problem, fear, mistake, or negative experience without reaching a solution.
What is rumination?
“I feel like a failure, therefore I must actually be a failure.”
What is emotional reasoning?
The first step in changing cognitive distortions is becoming ________ of them.
What is aware?
“My friend hasn't texted me back. They must be mad at me.”
What is mind reading/jumping to conclusions?
“I know I'm going to embarrass myself during this presentation.”
What is fortune-telling?
True or False: Rumination can sometimes feel like problem-solving.
What is true?
“Feelings are ________, but feelings aren't always ________.”
What are real and facts?
“I had a craving today, so I'm obviously going to relapse.”
What distortion is present?
What is fortune-telling/catastrophizing?
“I've had relationships end before, so I'll never have a successful relationship.”
What is overgeneralization?
“If I lose this job, I'll lose everything, become homeless, and my life will be completely ruined.”
What is catastrophizing?
“Problem-solving moves toward ________. Rumination moves in ________.”
What are action and circles?
“I feel lonely, so obviously nobody cares about me.”
What thinking error is occurring?
What is emotional reasoning?
“I shouldn't still need help with my recovery.”
What distortion is present?
What is should/must thinking?
“My coworker was quiet today. I must have done something to upset them.”
What is personalization?
True or False: Something being possible means it is also probable.
What is false?
“Why did I say that? Why am I like this? They probably think I'm stupid. I shouldn't have said anything.” This is most likely an example of this thinking process.
What is rumination?
“I feel guilty, so I must have done something wrong.”
What important question could you ask yourself?
What is “What evidence or facts show that I actually did something wrong?”
Someone thinks: “I'm going to screw this up.”
Give a balanced replacement thought.
“I'm nervous about this, but being nervous doesn't mean I'll fail. I can handle it one step at a time.”
“I've been sober for six months, but that's really not a big deal.”
What is disqualifying the positive/minimization?
Instead of catastrophizing about a future problem, this mindset involves believing you can handle challenges if and when they actually occur.
What is trusting your future self to cope?
Name three emotions or experiences that can make someone more vulnerable to rumination.
What are anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, anger, loneliness, stress, insecurity, or fear?
True or False: Challenging emotional reasoning means telling yourself that you shouldn't feel the emotion.
What is false?
When putting a thought “on trial,” name four types of evidence or questions you could examine.
Evidence supporting the thought. Evidence against the thought. Missing information. Assumptions. Alternative explanations. What someone else might say. Whether the thought is 100% true. Whether emotion is being treated as evidence