Back to Basics: Cognitive Distortions
September makes real the seasonal transition from summer into fall that began in August. These include adjustments to back-to-school routines, work schedule changes, and imminently shrinking daylight hours.
As these shifts happen, our stress levels can intensify, and our automatic thought patterns can take on a more challenging cadence. Not coincidentally, I typically see an uptick in prospective client inquiries this time of year. And those who are completely new to therapy understandably come with many questions.
If you’re one of these folx, you may not have a clear understanding of what “therapy” looks like. Unfortunately mental health treatment is still sometimes stigmatized, misunderstood, or even viewed as replaceable (hello, AI chatbots). It doesn’t necessarily help that “good therapy” also depends on the specific and unique relationship between the therapist and the client, which looks different for everyone.
That said, I find clients benefit from having a baseline understanding of core therapeutic concepts, which help demystify the process and reduce the ‘intimidation factor’ of working with someone new.
And the first thing I usually introduce is a framework known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a foundational, evidence-based approach with decades of demonstrated success in treating anxiety, depression, and so much more.
At its core, CBT looks at the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Broadly speaking, CBT proposes that what we think about a situation affects how we feel and what we do.
When our thoughts are balanced, then our feelings and our responses tend to align with the reality in front of us, without need for further scrutiny or intervention.
But what happens when life gets hard?
In times of heightened external stress, your perceptions might become biased or incomplete, and may not actually reflect your present reality. You may lose sight of the big picture, start to question or even lose faith in yourself. You might get stuck in unhelpful, automatic thought patterns.
In CBT, these unproductive thoughts are a key feature known as cognitive distortions.
What are cognitive distortions?
These are unhelpful thoughts based on inaccuracies in the way our minds process information. Thought distortions can then lead to uncomfortable feelings and unhelpful patterns, ultimately resulting in lifestyle dysfunction and disruption.
In other words, they’re cognitive bad habits — mental lies that steer us in the wrong direction.
When our actions are guided by a distorted view of ourselves and the world around us, they don’t serve us.
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When our actions are guided by a distorted view of ourselves and the world around us, they don’t serve us. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The good news is that this is all reversible. By becoming more aware of problematic thought patterns, we can start to identify why we feel upset in some situations, and how we might change our behaviors to effect positive changes — in both our mindset and our responses.
The first step in reclaiming control of our mental health is developing self-awareness around what our individual cognitive distortions are.
The next step is to reflect on what the distortions are actually doing. What are they obscuring for you? Do they actually represent the truth?
The final step is to reframe the distortions and re-align our cognitions with reality.
So, what are the different types of cognitive distortions, and how can we reframe them?
In no particular order, here are some common cognitive distortions:
1. All-or-nothing / black-and-white / absolutist thinking
Definition: Seeing things in rigid, either-or, extreme terms, without acknowledging any middle ground or ‘gray area.’ Things are either “good” or “bad,” a “total success” or an “utter failure.”
Example: “If I don’t get this promotion, I must be a complete failure.”
Reflection: Are there any other possibilities here? How else can I look at this situation?
2. Overgeneralizations
Definition: Drawing broad conclusions based on just one event or a single piece of evidence, like seeing one negative thing and assuming it is part of a pattern that repeats endlessly.
Example: “My last relationship didn’t work out, so a romantic partnership just isn’t in the cards for me.”
Reflection: Is this truly a consistent pattern? What evidence might suggest otherwise?
3. Filtering
Definition: Only looking at the negative aspects of a situation by “filtering” out the positives. The flaws become the whole picture rather than just a part of it.
Example: “I received feedback on my presentation. I must have done poorly.”
Reflection: What were the positive aspects I might be minimizing? Am I giving too much weight to the negative? Is the negative truly even negative, or simply ‘constructive’?”
4. Discounting the positives
Definition: Rejecting positive experiences by treating them as somehow insignificant, flukes, or meaningless. Telling yourself the good things “don‘t count.”
Example: “I did well on that test, but it was just luck. Anyone could’ve done the same.”
Reflection: Why am I ignoring my own power and accomplishments? What evidence suggests it wasn't simply luck?
5. Mind-Reading
Definition: Jumping to conclusions that others are thinking negatively about you, without any real evidence to back it up.
Example: “They aren’t smiling at me, so they must be upset with me.”
Reflection: How else could their expression possibly be interpreted? What evidence do I actually have to support this assumption?
6. Fortune-Telling
Definition: Predicting something negative will happen, without any real evidence to back it up.
Example: “I know this interview will go badly, so there’s no point getting my hopes up.”
Reflection: What is the actual likelihood of this outcome? What steps can I take to influence the situation?
7. Minimization
Definition: Downplaying the importance of positive traits, things, or outcomes in your life. Disregarding your own achievements and strengths.
Example: “It doesn’t really matter that I got a good grade on this paper because it wasn’t that hard.”
Reflection: What did I have control over here? Am I giving myself credit where it’s due?
8. Magnification or Catastrophizing
Definition: Exaggerating the importance of negative traits, things, or outcomes in your life. Amplifying your mistakes and flaws.
Example: “Getting to work 2 minutes late this one time is a huge deal, and I’ll probably get fired.”
Reflection: Are my reactions proportional to the event? Is my analysis of the situation accurate?
9. Emotional Reasoning
Definition: Believing that your feelings define your reality. Assuming something is true just because you feel it.
Example: “I feel nervous right now, so there must be something scary happening.”
Reflection: Are my feelings always an accurate reflection of reality? What evidence is there to the contrary?
10. Hypotheticals
Definition: “Shoulda, woulda, coulda” thinking. Unreasonable, rigid, sometimes completely arbitrary rules about how you and others ‘ought’ to think, feel, or behave.
Example: “I should be able to handle this on my own without any help.”
Reflection: What are these rules, and where do they come from? Are they fair, realistic, helpful, or productive in any way?
11. Labeling
Definition: Assigning negative and often overly simple labels to yourself or others, based on perceived shortcomings or subjective judgments.
Example: “I made a mistake on my report. I’m such a failure.”
Reflection: Is this label a fair and accurate representation of the person as a whole? What are some more balanced ways to describe the situation in context?
12. Personalization
Definition: Taking responsibility for negative events even when you yourself are not primarily (or at all!) responsible.
Example: “The group project didn’t go well. It must be because I didn’t do my part.”
Reflection: What other factors played a role in this outcome? What is the actual scope of my ownership in this situation?
Jumping to Conclusions: Making negative interpretations even when there are no solid facts to back them up. This often shows up in two ways:
Taking a Moment to Reflect:
As you've read through these common cognitive distortions, I encourage you to take a moment and consider your own thoughts. Do any of these resonate with you? Simply recognizing these patterns is a significant first step towards being able to challenge them.
CBT offers really practical tools and techniques to help you identify, challenge, and ultimately shift these unhelpful thought patterns. By learning to think in a more balanced and realistic way, you can experience meaningful improvements in your mood, reduce feelings of anxiety, and develop more effective ways of coping with life's challenges.
If you find yourself regularly struggling with negative thoughts and noticing how they impact your emotions and behaviors, exploring CBT with a therapist could be a really valuable step in nurturing your well-being. As a therapist, I'm here to support you in this process, helping you to understand your individual thought patterns and develop healthier ways of thinking.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, let's all commit to gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves, challenging those unhelpful patterns, and making our mental well-being a priority. If you're curious to learn more about how CBT might be helpful for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. Taking that first step can truly be transformative.
circle back to. It's a dedicated time to bring conversations about our emotional well-being into the forefront, reduce any lingering stigma, and really emphasize the significance of our mental health.
Even if you've heard of it before, sometimes going back to the basics can offer a fresh perspective on how it works and whether its principles might be beneficial for you personally.
Cognitive Distortions Provided by TherapistAid.com © 2023 Therapist Aid LLC
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Cognitive distortions are irrational thoughts that shape how you see the world, how you feel, and how you act. It’s normal to have these thoughts occasionally, but they can be harmful when frequent or extreme.
Magnification: Exaggerating the importance of events. You might believe your mistakes are excessively important.
Minimization: Minimizing the importance of events. You might believe your own achievements are unimportant.
Catastrophizing: Seeing only the worst possible outcomes of a situation.
Overgeneralization: Making broad interpretations from a single or few events. “I felt awkward during my job interview. I am always so awkward.”
Magical thinking: The belief that thoughts, actions, or emotions influence unrelated situations. "If I hadn't hoped something bad would happen to him, he wouldn't have gotten into an accident."
Personalization: The belief that you are responsible for events outside of your control. “My mom is always upset. She would be fine if I did more to help her.”
Jumping to conclusions: Interpreting the meaning of a situation with little or no evidence.
Mind reading: Interpreting the thoughts and beliefs of others without adequate evidence. “She wouldn’t go on a date with me. She probably thinks I’m ugly.”
Fortune telling: The expectation that a situation will turn out badly without adequate evidence.
Emotional reasoning: The assumption that emotions reflect the way things really are. “I feel like a bad friend, therefore I must be a bad friend.”
Filtering: Disqualifying the positive; recognizing only the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive. You might receive many compliments on an evaluation, but focus on the single piece of negative feedback.
“Should” statements: The belief that things should be a certain way. “I should always be perfect.”
All-or-nothing thinking: Thinking in absolutes such as “always,” “never,” or “every.” “I never do a good enough job on anything.”
1. Self-centered
Self-centered cognitive distortions involve thinking in extremes.
All-or-nothing thinking
Also known as “black and white thinking,” it is the inability to see shades of gray. Everything is viewed in terms of extremes (Hofmann et al., 2013).
For example, something is either awful or fantastic. You believe you are either a total failure or completely perfect. “I cheated on my diet, so I might as well eat whatever I want the rest of the week.”
Mind reading
Mind reading or “jumping to conclusions” happens when people assume they know what someone else is thinking. For example, someone might see a stranger’s unpleasant expression and automatically assume they are thinking something negative about them (Hofmann et al., 2013).
Should statements
Should statements are ones that we make to ourselves about what we “should,” “ought,” or “must” do. These thoughts set up unrealistic expectations that will most likely not be met.
“Should” statements can lead to guilt, shame, and resentment. We get disappointed when others don’t meet our expectations and beat ourselves up when we don’t follow through with what we “ought” to do (Beck & Beck, 2011).
For example, “I should always be nice regardless of how I feel.” Or, “I shouldn’t have made so many mistakes.”
2. Blaming others
Blaming others is the opposite of self-centered thinking. When things go wrong, it is always someone else’s fault.
Control fallacies
Control fallacies manifest as one of two beliefs. One is that we have no control over our lives and are helpless victims. The second is that we are in complete control of ourselves and surroundings and take full responsibility for the feelings of those around us (Beck & Beck, 2011).
For example, “Relationship conflict is always due to the other person.” Or, “It is my fault my parents divorced.”
3. Minimization and mislabeling
These distortions involve giving less weight to positive things and more weight to negative things.
Magnification and minimization
This distortion is also known as the “binocular trick” because it skews perspective through either exaggerating or minimizing meaning, importance, or likelihood (Beck & Beck, 2011).
An athlete who is generally a good player but makes a mistake may magnify the impact and start to believe they are a terrible player. Another athlete who wins an important award may minimize the importance of their contribution and continue believing they are only a mediocre player.
For example, “I failed the test so I will fail school and never get a job.”
Labeling and mislabeling
Labeling and mislabeling are extreme forms of overgeneralization where judgments of value are assigned to ourselves or others based on only one example or experience (Beck & Beck, 2011).
A student may label themselves as “an idiot” for failing one assignment. A waiter may label a customer as “a stingy old miser” if they leave a bad tip. Mislabeling refers to the application of highly emotional, loaded, and inaccurate language when making statements.
For example, if someone gets in one car accident, they label themselves as a terrible driver.
4. Assuming the worst
Assuming the worst can lead to depression and includes the following five distortions (Barriga et al., 2001):
Overgeneralization
When broad conclusions are made from a single event, this is considered an overgeneralization. Overgeneralization can lead to chronic pessimism and negativity about oneself and the environment based on a single experience (Beck & Beck, 2011).
For example, somebody gets a flat tire and says, “This always happens to me. I have terrible luck.”
Emotional reasoning
Emotional reasoning occurs when we accept our emotions as fact. It is often described as “I feel it; therefore, it must be true.” This is a common distortion because emotions are powerful, but they are not necessarily the truth (Hofmann et al., 2013).
For example, “I feel lucky tonight. I’ll bet my paycheck on that horse race.”
Mental filtering
When individuals focus only on negative aspects and ignore the positive in situations, events, or other people it is a form of mental filtering. This leads to an altered perception of reality that magnifies the negative (Beck & Beck, 2011).
For example, focusing only on negative feedback from a performance or presentation and ignoring any positive feedback.
Disqualifying the positive
Similar to mental filtering, disqualifying the positive occurs when positive experiences are rejected. When individuals do this about their own accomplishments, it can erode self-esteem and confidence (Beck & Beck, 2011).
For example, “I only won because there was no competition.”
Personalization
As the title implies, this distortion involves taking everything personally or assigning blame to oneself (Beck & Beck, 2011).
This cognitive distortion covers a wide range of situations from assuming you are the reason a friend did not enjoy a night out to believing that you are the cause for every instance of irritation in those around you.
For example, “It’s my fault that the party failed.”
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