Defining Irrational Thoughts
This type of thought is not based on reason, logic, or evidence.
What is an irrational thought?
This emotion often fuels irrational thoughts, creating a vicious cycle.
What is anxiety?
What is a cognitive distortion?
This practice involves observing your thoughts without getting caught up in them, often using a cloud or train analogy.
What is mindfulness?
Persistent irrational thoughts might be a symptom of this type of condition, like anxiety or depression.
What is mental health condition?
Irrational thoughts often stem from these two sources, such as assuming things without proof or past events.
What are assumptions and past experiences?
Janika Joyner calls this the feeling that you need to prepare for every possible situation due to anxiety.
What is a resource error?
This distortion involves jumping to the worst-case scenario, like thinking constipation means stomach cancer.
What is catastrophizing?
This activity involves writing your thoughts for 10 minutes, then identifying and replacing irrational ones.
What is journaling?
At the severe end of the continuum, irrational thoughts can become these unshakable false beliefs, often linked to psychosis.
What are delusions?
Irrational thoughts can impact these six areas of life, including career and friendships.
What are career, family, friendships, home life, romantic relationships, and school?
In the anxiety-thought cycle, this process involves getting stuck in a loop of worrying thoughts.
What is rumination?
This distortion makes you believe you are responsible for others' moods or behaviors, like thinking a co-worker is upset with you because they did not say hi.
What is personalization?
This mantra can help you avoid acting on an irrational thought: 'I am having an irrational thought, and I do not need to..'
What is 'act on it'?
In OCD, irrational thoughts contribute to these, which are persistent, distressing, and lead to compulsions.
What are obsession?
This analogy compares irrational thoughts to something passing through your mind without defining it.
This is the first step in Janika Joyner's four-step process to manage anxiety related to irrational thoughts.
What is identify the thought?
This distortion involves seeing things in extremes, using words like 'always' or 'never'.
What is black-and-white thinking?
These activities, like calling a friend or taking a walk, help you shift focus away from irrational thoughts.
What are channeling energy elsewhere (ex, calling a friend, dancing, deep breathing, getting into nature, or taking a walk)?
This type of therapy is recommended for managing irrational thinking patterns and improving mood.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Renee Goff, a licensed clinical psychologist, says this about who experiences irrational thoughts.
What is 'absolutely everyone has irrational thoughts form time to time'?
What is 'No matter what is going on, I will be able to handle this'?
These two distortions are common in depression and anxiety, respectively, one downplays positives, and the other exaggerates negatives.
What are minimization and magnification?
This worksheet question asks you to consider the worst that could happen if you do not get what you think you must have.
What is 'What is the worst that could happen if I do not get what I think I must have?'
This resource, mentioned by Billy Roberts, can help you find a CBT specialist to manage irrational thoughts.
what is the APA's Psychologist Locator?