Cognitive Distortions 1
Cognitive Distortions 2
Random
Reappraisal
Reappraise the Thought
100

"If I don’t always get 'A's, I’m a complete failure.“ This type of thinking involves viewing things in absolute terms: Situations are always black or white, everything or nothing, good or bad, success or failure.

All or Nothing Thinking / Black and white thinking

100

When you predict events will unfold in a particular way, often to avoid trying something difficult. For example, assuming someone is mad because they didn't respond to a text or predicting failure based on a single bad experience.

Jumping to Conclusions – Fortune Telling

100

•Taking something personally that may not be personal. Seeing events as consequences of your actions when there are other possibilities. For example, believing someone’s direct tone must be because they’re irritated with you.

Personalization

100

The core things connected in the CBT triangle

Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

100

"Since they looked at me weird, they must hate me"

Maybe they're just hangry? Or any other way to view in another light

200

•Generalizing a belief that may have validity in some situations (such as, “If you want something done well, you should do it yourself”) to every situation. This is a type of lack of psychological flexibility. For example, imagine that you made a suggestion about a work project that wasn't adopted in the final work. You might overgeneralize this and assume that no one at work ever listens to you or takes you seriously.

Overgeneralization

200

Thinking of unpleasant events as catastrophes.

Catastrophizing

200

The only food that never spoils

Honey

200

Times when you use cognitive reappraisal

When we are experiencing “difficult thoughts.”

If ratings are in the high ranges (unmanageable), it may result in a very unhelpful action urge!

After trying behavior change.

200

"Someone criticized me, so I must be a bad person."

Maybe they just are mean to everyone? One person's opinion does not necessarily mean I'm a bad person.

300

•A mental filter is the opposite of overgeneralization, but with the same negative outcome. Instead of taking one small event and generalizing it inappropriately, the mental filter takes one small event and focuses on it exclusively, filtering out anything else. For example, Nate focuses on all of the negative or hurtful things that his partner has said or done in their relationship, but he filters all the kind and thoughtful things his partner does. This thinking contributes to feelings of negativity about his partner and their relationship.

Mental filter

300

•When we conclude that our emotional reaction proves something is true, regardless of evidence. When we use our emotions as proof rather than using the facts. Emotional reasoning is a way of judging yourself or your circumstances based on your emotions. This type of reasoning assumes that because you are experiencing a negative emotion, it must accurately reflect reality. If you feel experience feelings of guilt, for example, emotional reasoning could lead you to conclude that you are a bad person. For instance, Jamie used emotional reasoning to conclude that they was a worthless person, which in turn led to binge eating.

Emotional Reasoning

300

Name at least 1 ANIMAL that has tried, or succeeded, to run for mayor.

A donkey and a chimp

300

True or false: If I feel an emotion and have an action urge in response, I have to do what the urge is.

False.

300

"I failed one quiz, so I'm going to just fail the whole class"

Just because I failed one quiz doesn't mean I'll automatically fail the whole class.  I can study more and do better next time.

400

•Discounting the positive is a cognitive distortion that involves ignoring or invalidating good things that have happened to you. It is similar to mental filtering, but instead of simply ignoring the positives, you are actively rejecting them. For example, Brian completes a project and receives an award for his outstanding work. Rather than feeling proud of his achievement, he attributes it to pure luck that has nothing to do with his talent and effort.

Discounting the positive

400

•For example, "I should always give 100 percent." Sometimes, there are no important benefits of doing a task beyond a basic acceptable level. These types of statements can make you feel worried or anxious. They can also cause you to experience guilt or a sense of failure. Because you always think you "should" be doing something, you end up feeling as if you are constantly failing.

•An example: Cheryl thinks they should be able to play a song on her violin without making any mistakes. When she does make mistakes, she feels angry and upset with herself. As a result, she starts to avoid practicing her violin.

Should Statements

400

True or false: Ketchup was never sold as a medicine.

False.

400

The goal of cognitive reappraisal

(1)pause to explore our thoughts,

(2)recognize the action urge (behavior) that is influenced by the thinking error

(3)create more helpful behaviors that align with our values

400

"They yelled at me.  I must just be a worthless person"

They might be angry for other reasons.  Just because they yelled at me, it doesn't mean I'm worthless.

500

Guessing what someone else is thinking, when they may not be thinking that. When you think someone is going to react in a particular way, or you believe someone is thinking things that they aren’t.

Jumping to Conclusions – Mind Reading

500

•involves making a judgment about yourself or someone else as a person, rather than seeing the behavior as something the person did that doesn't define them as an individual. For example, mentally labeling your sister’s boyfriend as a “loser” and not being open to subsequent evidence suggesting he isn’t a loser. For example, you might label yourself as a failure. You can also label other people as well. You might decide that someone is a jerk because of one interaction and continue to judge them in all future interactions through that lens with no room for redemption.

Labeling/mislabeling

500

What is the award called for the worst movies in history?

The Golden Turkey Award

500

A more helpful behavior for when I think “I cannot do anything right.” and have the urge to go on tik tok for 5 hours

Think of things that I have done right, etc.

500

"He sounded mad, so I must've done something to upset him"

He might be mad for other reasons that have nothing to do with me.