Types 1
This is when we see things in black and white categories. There is no grey area.
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Making global statements about yourself or others based upon situational behaviours
Labeling
"I will never be happy"
Examples: "I may be unhappy now but that will pass"
"I have been happy before and I will be happy again."
Labeling is when?
You make global statements about yourself or others based upon situational behaviour
Making broad assumptions based upon a single event and minimal evidence
Overgeneralization
The tendency to make irrational assumptions about people and circumstances
Jumping to conclusions
The fire alarm went off so I failed my maths test. It's all my fault
Personalisation
I should give my friend money because he asked me for it.
Examples: "I wish I could loan him money but I cannot afford it
"I want to give my friend money because it makes me feel good and I have enough to spare."
Cognitive Distortions are?
Biased perspectives we take on ourselves and the world around us.
Irrational thoughts and beliefs that we unknowingly reinforce over time.
This happens when we blow a negative event out of proportion and make problems larger than life
Magnification or Catastrophizing
The tendency to make unrealistic and unreasonable demands on yourself or others
Shoulding and Musting
I got told to do well in my test so I must do well at everything or I am a failure
Black and White thinking
He didn't say Hi to me this morning so he must be mad at me for something I did.
"There are many reasons why he did not say Hi to me. It's probably not personal."
"I will check in with him later and make sure everything is ok"
All cognitive distortions are tendencies or patterns of thinking or believing that are...?
•That are false or inaccurate
•And have the potential to cause psychological damage.
The tendency to take the blame for absolutely everything that goes wrong in your life
Personalisation
The tendency to interpret your experience based upon how you are feeling in the moment.
Emotional Reasoning
I know she complimented me on my new outfit but she was just being nice.
Minimization
I know I am going to have a panic attack when I go the party tomorrow so I should just cancel my plans now.
"I can practice my coping skills if I start to feel anxious and I can leave the party if I start to panic. But I should at least give it a try."
"I have been to these types of parties before and I have never had a panic attack. I will probably be fine."
Once we know what our inaccurate thoughts are
we can identify facts that challenge those thoughts
This is when we pick out one negative detail in a situation and forget all the positives.
Mental Filtering
This is an extreme example of turning positive events into negative ones.
Disqualifying the Positive
I didn't like last lessson so everything is going to suck! It's all going to be awful.
Catastrophizing
I have had a headache for two days. I must have a brain tumor.
"Headaches are common and happen occasionally. There is no need to worry."
"If my headache doesn't go away in a day I will make an appointment with my doctor to check it out."
"I am under a lot of stress and my body is probably telling me I need to take it easy."
What is cognitive reframing?
Cognitive reframing is when someone recognizes their distorted thoughts and then changes them to better match reality.