By
Medical Care Review | Monday,
July 17,
2023
Cognitive distortions are the mind's technique of tricking us and convincing us of things that aren't true. While many cognitive distortions are prevalent, some can suggest a more severe problem can negatively impact mental health, resulting in increased sensations of stress, worry, or despair.
Fremont, CA: Cognitive distortions are unreasonable or harmful patterns of thought. These negative thought patterns can reduce your motivation, damage your self-esteem, and contribute to issues such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.
This article describes many cognitive distortions and how they function.
All-or-Nothing Thinking
All-or-nothing thinking is sometimes referred to as black-and-white or polarized thinking. This way of thinking entails perceiving things in absolute terms. Situations are usually black and white, all or nothing, good or bad, successful or unsuccessful.
Dwelling on mistakes and assuming you'll never be able to perform well is an example of all-or-nothing thinking instead of admitting your mistake and attempting to move on.
Emotional Reasoning
Emotional reasoning is the process of appraising yourself or your situation based on your feelings. This line of thought assumes that because you are feeling a negative emotion, it must correctly reflect reality. If you feel guilt, for example, emotional thinking may lead you to believe you are a terrible person.
“Should” Statements
"Should" statements require constantly thinking about things you "should" or "must" do. These statements may make you feel concerned or anxious. They might also make you feel guilty or disappointed. You feel like you're continuously failing because you continually believe you "should" be doing something.
Labeling
Labeling is a cognitive distortion in which you judge yourself or another individual as a person rather than viewing the action as something the person did that does not define them as an individual.
For example, you could describe yourself as a failure. You can also label others. You might determine that someone is a jerk based on one interaction and then assess them in all future interactions using that lens, with no chance for atonement.
Personalization and Blame
Personalization and blame are cognitive distortions in which you solely blame yourself or someone else for an event that, in reality, includes numerous causes beyond your control.
When you find yourself indulging in this cognitive distortion, intentionally investigate alternative things that may have contributed to the circumstance. Instead of blaming oneself for anything that happened, evaluate external causes or other people's activities that may have contributed to the outcome.
