What are Cognitive Distortions and how can you change these thinking patterns?<\/strong> Writer Rebecca Joy Stanborough puts your thinking under the microscope.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By Rebecca Joy Stanborough<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n COGNITIVE distortions involve negative thinking patterns that aren\u2019t based on fact or reality. You can help change these thinking patterns to promote your mental well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have the worst luck in the entire world.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just failed that math test. I\u2019m no good at school and might as well quit.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s late. It\u2019s raining. She has hydroplaned, and her car is upside down in a ditch.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n These are all prime examples of cognitive distortions: thought patterns that cause people to view reality in inaccurate \u2014 usually negative \u2014 ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, they\u2019re habitual errors in thinking. When experiencing a cognitive distortion, the way you interpret events is usually negatively biased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most people experience cognitive distortions from time to time. But if they\u2019re reinforced often enough, they can increase anxiety, deepen depression, cause relationship difficulties, and lead to other complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more about cognitive distortions, including their connections to mental health, the types, and what you can do to help change your thought patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where do they come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cognitive distortions are types of thinking patterns that emphasise negative biases. Mental health professionals first described them in the late 1970s and early 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research from 2017 suggests that people may develop cognitive distortions to cope with adverse life events. The more prolonged and severe those adverse events are, the more likely it is that one or more cognitive distortions will form. Human beings might even have developed cognitive distortions as an evolutionary survival method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, experiencing stress could cause you to adapt your thinking in useful ways for immediate survival. But these thoughts often aren\u2019t rational or healthy long-term.<\/p>\n\n\n Is thinking with cognitive distortions a mental illness?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Research suggests that cognitive distortions may occur in numerous mental health conditions. These include depression, dysphoria, and anxiety disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, cognitive distortions aren\u2019t considered a mental illness on their own. In the American Psychiatric Association\u2019s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), cognitive distortion is not listed as a mental health condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Experiencing occasional cognitive distortions is natural. However, experiencing them regularly could be a reason to see a mental health professional for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are the different types of cognitive distortions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the 1960s and 1970s, psychiatrist Aaron Beck pioneered research on cognitive distortions in his development of a treatment method known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n CBT is a type of psychotherapy mental health professionals use to teach clients how to overcome individual reactions (whether emotional, physiological, or behavioral) to a given situation, which may influence their interpretations of the actual situation itself. Today, CBT is still considered a key method to help individuals transform distorted thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, researchers have identified at least 10 common distorted thinking patterns, which are listed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Polarised thinking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes called \u201call-or-nothing\u201d or \u201cblack-and-white thinking,\u201d this distortion occurs when people habitually think in extremes without considering all the possible facts in a given situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re convinced that you\u2019re either destined for success or doomed to failure, that the people in your life are either angelic or evil, you\u2019re probably engaging in polarized thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This kind of distortion is unrealistic and often unhelpful because reality often exists between the two extremes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overgeneralisation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When people overgeneralise, they reach a conclusion about one event and then incorrectly apply that conclusion across the board. In other words, you might assume that one negative event means every subsequent event thereafter will be negative too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, you score low on one math test and conclude that you\u2019re hopeless at math in general. You may have a negative experience in one relationship and then believe that you just aren\u2019t good at relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overgeneralisation has been associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Catastrophising<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This distorted thinking leads people to dread or assume the worst when faced with the unknown \u2014 despite a lack of evidence supporting such predictions. When people catastrophise, ordinary worries can quickly escalate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, an expected cheque doesn\u2019t arrive in your bank account. A person who catastrophises may begin to fear it will never arrive and that, as a consequence, it won\u2019t be possible to pay rent, and the whole family will be evicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s easy to dismiss catastrophising as a \u201chysterical\u201d overreaction. Still, people who have developed this cognitive distortion may have experienced repeated adverse events \u2014 like chronic pain or childhood trauma \u2014 so often that they fear the worst in many situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personalisation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most common errors in thinking is taking things personally when they\u2019re not connected to or caused by you at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may be engaging in personalisation when you blame yourself for circumstances that aren\u2019t your fault, or are beyond your control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another example is when you incorrectly assume that you\u2019ve been intentionally excluded or targeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Personalisation has been associated with heightened anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mind reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When people assume they know what others are thinking, they\u2019re resorting to mind reading. With this cognitive delusion, you may also assume that others are thinking negative thoughts about you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It can be hard to distinguish between mind reading and empathy \u2014 the ability to perceive and understand what others may be feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To tell the difference between the two, it might be helpful to consider all the evidence, not just the evidence that confirms your suspicions or beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At least one study found that mind reading is more common among children than adolescents or adults and is associated with anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mental filtering<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This distorted thought pattern involves the tendency to ignore positives and focus exclusively on negatives. This is known as mental filtering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interpreting circumstances using a negative mental filter is inaccurate and can also worsen anxiety and depression symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers have found that having a negative perspective of yourself and your future can cause feelings of hopelessness. These thoughts may become extreme enough to trigger suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discounting the positive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Like mental filters, discounting the positive involves a negative bias in thinking. As the name suggests, discounting the positive essentially means that you either dismiss or ignore positive events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People who tend to discount the positive don\u2019t ignore or overlook something positive. Instead, they explain it away as a fluke or sheer luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of acknowledging that a good outcome results from skill, smart choices, or determination, they assume that good results must be an accident or anomaly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When people believe they have no control over their circumstances, it can reduce motivation and cultivate a sense of \u201clearned helplessness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShould\u201d statements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When people find themselves thinking in terms of what \u201cshould\u201d and \u201cought\u201d to be said or done, it\u2019s possible that a cognitive distortion is at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s rarely helpful to chastise yourself with what you \u201cshould\u201d be able to do in a given situation. \u201cShould\u201d and \u201cought\u201d statements are often used by the thinker to take on a negative view of their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These types of thoughts are often rooted in internalized family or cultural expectations that might not be appropriate for an individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such thoughts can diminish your self-esteem and raise anxiety levels.<\/p>\n\n\n Emotional reasoning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Emotional reasoning refers to the false belief that your emotions are the truth \u2014 and that the way you feel about a situation is a reliable indicator of reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it\u2019s important to listen to, validate, and express emotion, it\u2019s equally important to judge reality based on rational evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers have found that emotional reasoning is a common cognitive distortion. It\u2019s a pattern of thinking used by people with and without anxiety or depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Labeling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Labeling is a cognitive distortion in which people classify themselves in a negative way following an undesirable event. For example, they might reduce themselves or other people to a single \u2014 usually negative \u2014 characteristic or descriptor, such as a \u201cfailure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When people label, they define themselves and others based on a single event or behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Labeling can cause people to berate themselves. It can also cause the thinker to misunderstand or underestimate others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This misperception can cause problems between people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How can you change these distortions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that cognitive distortions can be corrected over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some steps you can take if you want to change thought patterns that may not be helpful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Identify the troublesome thought<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you realize a thought is causing anxiety or dampening your mood, a good first step is to figure out what kind of distorted thinking is taking place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To better understand how your thoughts affect your emotions and behavior, you may want to consider reading \u201cFeeling Good: The New Mood Therapy\u201d by clinical psychologist Dr. David Burns. This book is considered by many to be the definitive work on this subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try reframing the situation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for shades of gray, alternative explanations, objective evidence, and positive interpretations to expand your thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might find it helpful to write down your original thought, followed by three or four alternative interpretations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perform a cost-benefit analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n People usually repeat behaviors that deliver some benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might find it helpful to analyze how your thought patterns have helped you cope in the past. Do they give you a sense of control in situations where you feel powerless? Do they allow you to avoid taking responsibility or taking necessary risks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also ask yourself what engaging in cognitive distortion costs you. Weighing the pros and cons of your thought patterns could motivate you to change them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider cognitive behavioral therapy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CBT is a widely recognized form of talk therapy in which people learn to identify, interrupt, and change unhealthy thinking patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d like some guidance in identifying and changing distorted thinking, you might find this type of therapy useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CBT usually focuses on specific goals. It generally takes place for a predetermined number of sessions and may take a few weeks to a few months to see results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for a therapist who\u2019s properly certified. Your therapist should be trained in CBT*.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bottom line<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cognitive distortions are habitual ways of thinking that are often inaccurate and negatively biased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cognitive distortions usually develop over time in response to adverse events. Researchers have identified at least 10 common distorted thinking patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re ready to tackle a cognitive distortion, you may want to try some of the methods found in cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy has been successful in helping people identify cognitive distortions and retrain themselves to look at the world in a clearer, more rational way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n * Wisdom with Whiskers counselling therapist Con Healy is registered member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and incorporates CBT<\/strong> into his healing style.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IMG_20170614_225545_333-1024x1024.webp\")
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