Identifying Cognitive Distortions Part one of Cognitive Behavioral

Identifying Cognitive Distortions Part one of “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” [Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy developed by Teasdale, Williams, and Siegal]

All or Nothing Thinking Black and white thinking Anything short of perfection is failure “My way or the highway” “She’s either with me or against me”

Overgeneralization A single event is regarded as a pattern “This always happens” Broad interpretations about capability based on one event

Mental Filter Pick out a single negative detail and dwell to the point of exclusivity That one negative attribute, event, person, etc. takes over your view of the entire situation

Disqualifying the Positive Don’t count positive experiences Belittle accomplishments, positive experiences, compliments from others “I’m not good I just got lucky that one time” “He invited me because he felt like he had to”

Reacting impulsively Mind-reading Jumping to Conclusions Concluding that someone is targeting you or acting negatively toward you purposefully Predicting something will turn out badly

Magnification Belief that mistakes are catastrophes Small misfortunes are incredibly damaging

Should Statements Belief that things SHOULD be a certain way Hanging on “shoulds” as expectations “He should be…”---well he’s not, so work on reality

Personalization Feel responsible for things outside of your control The lone cause of some adverse event

In summary All or Nothing Overgeneralization Mental Filter Disqualifying the Positive Jumping to Conclusions Magnification Should Statements Personalization

Cognitive Restructuring Part two of CBT Evidence that supports the thought Evidence that disproves the thought Possible assumptions Alternate perspectives or interpretations of evidence Possible exaggerations Likely scenario or worst case scenario?