Name that Distortion!
"I made a mistake, so I’m bad at everything.”
All-or-Nothing Thinking
"I messed up"
"mistakes happen"
"I'll try again"
"Ill learn from my mistake"
"I'll do better next time"
"its okay to make mistakes, thats how I learn"
"Im learning"
Believing a bad day means a bad week
Overgeneralization
“I feel nervous.”
Feeling
What has hands but can’t clap?
Clock
"They didn’t say hi—they must be mad at me.”
Mind Reading
“I’m terrible at everything.”
“I struggle with some things, not everything.”
"This task doesnt come easy to me, but im really good at other things"
"Im not perfect, none is perfect"
Assuming a friend is mad without asking
Mind Reading
My heart is racing.”
Fact
What has a neck but no head, and two arms but no hands?
A shirt
"I made a mistake.”
No distortion (normal thought)
"These people dont like me, I just know it"
“I don’t have evidence for that.”
Feeling sad after a bad day
Normal emotion (no distortion)
“I’m nervous, so I’ll fail.”
Distortion (Emotional Reasoning)
What has keys but can’t open locks?
A piano
'im a failure because I am still struggling"
Labeling
“If I don’t do my goals perfectly, I’ll fail.”
"I tried my best this month"
"I achieved part of my goals"
"Im getting there"
Believing one mistake defines you
labeling
“They didn’t respond to my message.”
Fact
What can travel around the world while staying in one corner?
Stamp
“I made one mistake, so I’ll never get this right.”
Overgeneralization
“They haven’t texted back or called me back—something bad happened.”
“There are many possible reasons why they havnet gotten back to me"
"I am able to be patient and wait a little longer before I reach out again"
"They probably are busy and will get back to me when they can"
Feeling afraid and deciding you’re unsafe
emotional reasoning
“They’re ignoring me on purpose.”
Distortion
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?
echo
“I feel anxious, so this is dangerous.”
Emotional Reasoning
“I feel guilty, so I must have done something wrong.”
"feelings dont always mean something is factual/true"
Thinking you caused someone else’s bad mood
Personalization
“I feel embarrassed.”
Feeling
What runs but never walks?
Water
“If this goes badly, my life is ruined.”
Catastrophizing
"It does not actually happen all the time"
"things are going to go wrong, that does not mean everything bad always happens to me"
"What can I do differently next time to possibly change this outcome"
Expecting the worst outcome automatically
Catastrophizing
“No one cares about me.”
Distortion (Overgeneralization / Mind Reading)
What has a ring but no finger?
“It’s my fault my friend is upset.”
Personalization
"struggling doesnt define who I am"
"challenges are apart of life, and I can navigate through them, maybe with some support from others who care about me"
"What can I do differently to reduce the stress in my life"
Seeing only success or failure, nothing in between
All-or-Nothing Thinking
“I should never mess up.”
Distortion (Should Statements)
What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?
A teapot