5 Common Cognitive Distortions
Have you ever gotten into a fight with your partner, and while you were both present for the events that caused the fight, you’re unable to agree on the facts of the situation?
This can happen because we all perceive events differently, as we are all influenced by our past experiences, culture, social circle, and other contextual differences.
While these differing viewpoints of interpretation exist in everyone, some people can be more prone to thought patterns that frequently impact their life in negative ways, such as more frequent fighting or disagreements. Depression, OCD, or anxiety can distort our perceptions - otherwise known as “cognitive distortions.”
Cognitive distortions are often hallmarked by their negativity. They create problems for people because they may distort reality in order to fit their negative perceptions which then leads to acting in response to the distorted reality. This is followed by creating more problems which are then repeatedly viewed through the lens of whichever cognitive distortion the individual frequently uses. In other words, cognitive distortions create a very tricky feedback loop.
There are different varieties of cognitive distortions, but most people have a select few they use most frequently. Read about a few of the most common cognitive distortions below. Do any feel familiar to you?
Minimizing:
When an individual is engaged in this type of cognitive distortion they will often minimize or downplay their attributes or accomplishments. An example of this would be someone saying, “It’s no big deal that I got that promotion at work. Most people get promoted after a year anyway.” This self-shaming technique can perpetuate low self esteem and comparison to others.
Overgeneralizing:
When an individual engages in overgeneralizing they will take one statement and attempt to apply it far beyond the specific situation it was referring to. An example of this is “Logan won’t date me, so this must mean no one will want to date me.”
Mind reading:
When an individual engages in mind reading they are jumping to conclusions and assuming the thoughts of others. An example of this is “My baby can’t roll over yet, so the doctor probably thinks I’m a bad mom who doesn't do tummy time with her child.” Mind reading can be dangerous because we may start to act as if the information we “mind read” is the truth. This can distort social interactions and exacerbate social anxiety.
Mental Filtering:
When an individual is engaging in metal filtering, their brain is focusing on all of the negative and filtering out the positive. An example of this is if you received positive feedback from your boss nine times along with one time getting criticism. The person engaged in mental filtering would only focus on the negative after the interaction. If an individual is frequently focusing on the negative details of every situation, this can contribute to feelings of depression.
Catastrophizing:
When an individual is catastrophizing, they are listening to what their anxiety is telling them could be the worst case scenario and then imagining all of the worst case scenarios that would continue to follow. An example of this is when someone feels anxious about an upcoming test, assuming they will fail, and then imagine they will never graduate and then never will get a job so therefore they will end up homeless. Catastrophizing can be very common in individuals with anxiety disorders, and can make it very hard to live in the present moment.
