APA defines cognitive distortion as faulty thinking patterns or beliefs. It is a normal psychological process that takes place in all people in varying degrees. Cognitive distortions are often negative in nature and interfere with the individual's day to day activities. They develop over time. It starts with the automatic thought we have in response to a certain situation, which triggers specific emotions and behaviors.

For some people, distorted thoughts are a temporary state of mind. For example, a student may get upset that they performed poorly on their math test. They may think, “I bad at math. I can never learn it.” instead of realizing that they need to study more. However, people are able to move on and try again after these setbacks.

For others, cognitive distortions are thinking patterns that interfere with their daily functioning. In cases like these, distorted thinking can lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and develops unhealthy coping mechanisms. For example, an interviewee may get upset that they didn’t clear the interview round for xyz company and never try again for positions in other areas due to fear of rejection. Moreover, a study done in 2021 shows that cognitive distortions can contribute to the development and worsening of mental health conditions such as depression. 

Most Common Cognitive Distortions 

Most of us have distorted patterns of thinking that we are not even aware of. Here are some common cognitive distortions that we see:

• All-or-Nothing Thinking also known as black-and-white thinking is a type of thinking that involves viewing things in absolute terms: Situations are always black or white, everything or nothing, good or bad, success or failure.

• Overgeneralization is when you make a rule after a single event or a series of coincidences. Because you have experience with one event playing out a certain way, you think that all future events will have the same outcome.

• Discounting the Positive is a cognitive distortion that involves ignoring or invalidating good things that have happened to you. It is similar to mental filtering, but instead of simply ignoring the positives, you are actively rejecting them.

• "Should" Statements always involve thinking about things that you think you "should" or "must" do. These types of statements can make you feel worried or anxious. They can also cause you to experience guilt or a sense of failure. Because you always think you "should" be doing something, you end up feeling as if you are constantly failing.

• Labeling involves making a judgment about yourself or someone else as a person, rather than seeing the behavior as something the person did that doesn't define them as an individual.

• Personalization and Blame is a cognitive distortion whereby you entirely blame yourself, or someone else, for a situation that, in reality, involved many factors that were out of your control.

Take a while and think about your thinking patterns. Do they look similar to any of the cognitive distortions mentioned above? If they do, make a conscious effort to reframe them with the intervention method explained ahead.

Cognitive restructuring 

Cognitive restructuring is an intervention where the client challenges and replaces their negative, irrational thoughts with more adaptive ones. It is a CBT technique which aims at reducing stress through cultivating more positive and functional thought habits. One way you can restructure your negative beliefs is by keeping a thought record.

Thought record

Although it seems overwhelming and difficult to change your own ways of thinking, it is something that will benefit you in the long run. It is hard when you first begin, but with practice, you will find it easier and easier to challenge your own negative thoughts and beliefs. 

Let us know in the comments if this blog helped you get better insights about yourself. 

Ref:

Medical and health information | MedicalNewsToday

Mental Health Worksheets & Handouts – Mental Health Center Kids

Bathina, K.C., ten Thij, M., Lorenzo-Luaces, L. et al. Individuals with depression express more distorted thinking on social media. Nat Hum Behav 5, 458–466 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01050-7