Have you ever been in a situation where you made up the worst possible scenarios in your mind?
For example, let’s suppose that you were waiting for your friend and he got late. You assume that he might have gotten into an accident rather than just thinking maybe he lost track of time or got stuck in traffic. This is a way in which our thinking plays tricks on us and is referred to as cognitive distortion.
What Are Cognitive Distortions?
As per the American Psychological Association, cognitive distortion is an incorrect and negative way of thinking and believing the truth. In other words, we can say that it is your brain’s negative perception of reality.
Having negative thoughts is normal when you are upset or dealing with something unusual. However, the concept of cognitive distortion suggests a habitual way of thinking in an unhealthy way. Even though there is no evidence of it. These distortions can stem from long-term bad experiences and severe situations which therefore affect our thoughts and emotions negatively.
They are even thought to be connected with mental conditions. A study suggests that they play a role in the onset and progression of depression and other mental health issues.
Types of Cognitive Distortions
While not everyone thinks in the same way, there are ten most commonly observed types of cognitive distortions you can experience. Learning about them can make you more aware and rethink your thoughts in a more realistic and positive way. Now let’s get a hold of these types:
1. Catastrophizing
As mentioned earlier, this is the tendency to think the worst will happen, even if the real risk is pretty low or there is a complete lack of evidence. It usually involves ‘what if’ situations, such as taking a simple tightness in the chest as a heart attack.
2. Over-generalization
This occurs when you take a single piece of evidence and draw broad generalizations from it for the world or yourself.
For example, if you lose your keys once, you start thinking that you are an irresponsible person.
3. Personalization and Blaming
This is totally the opposite of what we discussed above. Such as taking things personally even though they have nothing to do with you. This kind of personalization and blaming is usually associated with heightened anxiety and depression.
An example here is thinking that if a lunch plan with friends gets canceled, you start thinking that you must have done something to upset your friends.
4. Labeling and Mislabeling
Labeling is quite similar to over-generalization, in which you give yourself or others a broad, often negative impression based on little information. People with such thinking are harsh, open to judgment, and usually carry unfair opinions about anyone they label. Such cognitive distortion has been linked to hopelessness and depression.
For example, you might label someone lazy because he came to the office late. Or labeling yourself stupid or dumb if you fail a math test.
5. All-or-Nothing Thinking
This is a type of cognitive distortion that makes us view things in absolute terms. You can take it as a divided thought, which makes you live your life on the edges instead of seeing the truth. That is why it is also called polarized thinking, black-and-white thinking, or dichotomous thinking in many research studies.
Example: thinking that you are perfect or a loser.
6. Mental Filtering
This type of cognitive distortion includes focusing on negative perspectives in any case without seeing the other side of the picture. That is why it is also called negative filtering.
People who do negative filtering might only see their mistakes and not their achievements. For example, you have had a great date but you only focus on a single embarrassing thing you said.
7. Discontinuing the Positives
This is quite similar to negative filtering. But here the main difference is accepting the positives but also taking them as a fluke and explaining away the positives.
Example: You gave a good presentation in front of a team but you believe it won’t happen again. Or thinking like you did well because you had help.
8. Emotional Reasoning
Emotional reasoning is one of the most common cognitive distortions. In this, a person considers that what they think is, in fact, a reality. People who think this way let their feelings take over a situation instead of the facts.
Example: If you feel gloomy, you start thinking that you are useless.
9. The ‘Should’ statements
This cognitive distortion is a rigid way of thinking and unrealistic rules that everyone has to follow or fail, including yourself. It emphasizes thoughts with words like “should,” “must,” or “ought,” which can make individuals feel guilty or like they have already failed.
Such as thinking, “I should be so much further in life at my age. I’m behind and I’m never going to get on track.” Or, “I must clean everything before the guest comes.”
10. Jumping to Conclusions
As the name suggests, this occurs when you jump to conclusions without having much or any proof to back them up. It can manifest itself in two ways,
- Mind-reading is when you think you know how other people will act or feel before something happens.
- Fortune-telling, where you say bad things will happen without any evidence.
Here is one example that can fill both terms. “My boss is going to criticize my work in the meeting”
Methods to Overcome Cognitive Distortion
All of these cognitive disorders are automatic thoughts in their own terms. You won’t even feel them at the beginning but slowly, they can take a toll on your mental health and can lead to depression and anxiety.
But luckily, there are research-proven methods that can help us change these negative thoughts. Let’s learn about them now:
Catch Them At the Beginning
If any sort of negative thinking comes into your mind, ask yourself what is this sort of cognitive distortion I am facing? Am I labeling something or taking it personally without any reason?
Or you can try to journal your thoughts daily and then later on find a pattern that can lead you to one or more kinds of cognitive distortions you might be having. You can also follow the survey method in which you ask the opinions of trusted ones about your actions. It is much like a phone-a-friend lifeline.
The main idea behind catching such thoughts is to consciously try to find and adopt a more balanced point of view in response to these distortions. But don’t be ashamed of having them in the first place. Instead, allow yourself to identify the type, write it and move on from it.
Examine the Evidence
Once you know what type of distortion you are having, examine the possible reasons behind it. Try to find evidence behind your negative thinking and then solution for it. For example, if you are having a headache, you may think it’s going to kill you.
But here, change your mindset to logical thinking by asking yourself “have you tried taking any medication for the headache?” In his way, you can get rid of illogical thoughts and see things as they really are.
Reframing Your Thoughts
Reframing is one of the most popular and best possible methods to overcome cognitive distortion. To try this method, avoid thinking of everything in a black-or-white state. Try to spin up your negative thoughts and see the silver lining in any scenario you once thought was a dead end.
It can be easily done by practicing the ‘Yes__But’ method. Instead of thinking that you didn’t get the job, you can say, “Yes, I did not get the job, but I have a lot of skills and knowledge that make me a competent employee.” Or “Yes, I failed my math test, but I still can get better at it”
So keep on repeating such affirmations, even if you don’t believe them. Studies have shown that this can make people behave and feel better.
Do the Cost-effective Analysis
If you feel stuck in your thoughts and have trouble getting rid of cognitive distortions, think about the pros and cons of keeping them.
For example, try asking questions yourself like “Why do I think that since I didn’t get a job means I am a failure?”
Try to practice it daily, it will take some time to feel difference, but it can surely help you reduce the chances of unhealthy thoughts.
Use Physical Activity as a Tool
We all know the benefits of physical activity for the body and brain. But it is also found to be beneficial for your mental health.
Physical activity of any kind helps with the release of endorphins or ‘feel good’ chemicals, in the body. These chemicals, in return, can cause a burst in energy and increase the sense of belonging, which can reduce negative thinking.
For example, a 2022 study found that doing pilates for eight weeks reduced cognitive distortion and mental resilience in people.
So next time you catch yourself ruminating on a negative thought do any physical activity such as dancing, walking, or swimming. Even following a YouTube workout can help! The other option is to make a habit of doing workouts for at least 30 minutes daily.
Consider Counseling
If you have tried all of the above methods and none seem to be working for you, then the best is to try Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). It is a method widely used to transform unhealthy ways of thinking, no matter what their cause can be into healthy ones.
So if you wish to seek CBT, always look for a professional in the field known as a behavioral health specialist.
Takeaway
Our minds can sometimes trick us with these distortions. It can make us think negatively, which surely affects our mood and social bonds. But you can trick your mind by using any of the above-mentioned methods and remove all the negativity from your mind.
And at any point in your life, if you ever need a memory boost or some guidance spotting a cognitive distortion, read or save his post for future use. Share it with someone who you think needs to read it too.
Also, remember that it is very important to learn about these cognitive biases, we also need to learn how to deal with the social pressures we face from the outside world. So let’s explore some strategies to reduce the burden of social pressure.
References:
- APA Dictionary of Psychology. dictionary.apa.org/cognitive-distortion.
- Rnic, Katerina, et al. “Cognitive distortions, humor styles, and depression.” Europe’s Journal of Psychology, vol. 12, no. 3, Aug. 2016, pp. 348–62. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v12i3.1118.
- Bathina, Krishna C., et al. “Individuals with depression express more distorted thinking on social media.” Nature Human Behaviour, vol. 5, no. 4, Feb. 2021, pp. 458–66. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01050-7.
- Fazakas-DeHoog, Laura L., et al. “A cognitive distortions and deficits model of suicide ideation.” Europe’s Journal of Psychology, vol. 13, no. 2, May 2017, pp. 178–93. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v13i2.1238.
- Gilbert, Paul, and Jeremy N. V. Miles. “Sensitivity to Social Put-Down: it’s relationship to perceptions of social rank, shame, social anxiety, depression, anger and self-other blame.” Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 29, no. 4, Oct. 2000, pp. 757–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0191-8869(99)00230-5.
- Friedman, Hershey H. “Overcoming Cognitive Distortions: How to Recognize and Challenge the Thinking Traps that Make You Miserable.” Brooklyn-cuny, Nov. 2023, www.academia.edu/108905003/Overcoming_Cognitive_Distortions_How_to_Recognize_and_Challenge_the_Thinking_Traps_that_Make_You_Miserable.
- Blum, S., et al. “Coping.” Elsevier eBooks, 2012, pp. 596–601. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-375000-6.00110-5.
- Watkins, Edward R. “Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought.” Psychological Bulletin, vol. 134, no. 2, Mar. 2008, pp. 163–206. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.163.
- Suata, Canan Öner, and Elif Karagün. “Effect of Pilates exercise on cognitive distortion, stress coping and psychological endurance of women victim of violence.” The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, vol. 62, no. 2, Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.23736/s0022-4707.21.12080-8.
- Kuru, E., et al. “Cognitive distortions in patients with social anxiety disorder: Comparison of a clinical group and healthy controls.” The European Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 32, no. 2, Apr. 2018, pp. 97–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpsy.2017.08.004.
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