I’m a failure!” “I’m running out of time!” “No one loves me!” “I think my performance at the test today was mediocre.” Do any of those statements ring a bell? All of them are considered cognitive distortions. They happen to all of us – yep, even the best of us. It’s when the mind leads you astray and goes into a wild dance of cognitive distortion.
Fortunately, there are ways to get better at handling them. It may require time, practice, and learning new techniques!
Distorted Thinking
Distorted thinking is a thought pattern that exaggerates and is not based on facts. They occur in many mental health conditions, including dysphoria, anxiety disorders, and depression. They are not considered mental illnesses.
However, experiencing them can be expected, especially during great stress. It is also natural. However, if they occur daily, that may be a warning sign that you need help. That is because your mental health can take a hit. That’s when a therapist will come in handy. It’s more than a pessimistic view of the world.
Our thoughts influence the way we see the world, the way we act, and how we feel. Taking our negative thoughts as truth can destroy our self-perception and act as if our negative assumptions are valid.
Here are distorted thinking examples:
Polarized Thinking
When you’re playing casino games, the bet is all or nothing. Polarizing thinking is precisely that: everything is good, and then you fail. This kind of thinking is extreme and, thus, profoundly unhealthy.
Catastrophizing
Put, catastrophizing is imagining that the worst will happen. It happens especially when there is no proof of the worst happening. Due to its nature, this distorted way of thinking may be dismissed as hysterics. Sadly, this thinking happens to many people who have experienced plenty of pain in their childhoods.
Labeling
When you negatively classify yourself, that is called labeling. It is distorted thinking because it is not based on fact.
Jumping to conclusions
This is when you “predict” what will happen and believe beforehand that someone will react in a specific way to your decision.
Combatting Distorted Thinking
Now that you’ve learned cognitive distortions, you can help identify them better. After that, you can reframe your thoughts so that they will not affect you as negatively.
Work with a therapist.
CBT, short for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, specializes in regulating emotions and reframing thoughts. During this therapy, the therapist works with you to identify your thought process and change and reframe your thoughts. It takes months to see results.
Identify your problematic thought.
When faced with a negative thought, you have to identify it. Think of it as an internal correction.
Reframe situations.
The techniques taught in therapy are meant to be applied in real, everyday life. Hence, the best application method is to reframe your negative thoughts and optimistic interpretations of your thinking.
Journal
Track down your thought process with a journal. Keeping them for a time allows you to understand yourself better and how you think.
Wrapping Up
Some biases come with distorted thinking. When left unchecked, they can become threats to our well-being. If you wish to combat distorted thinking, your best bet is to work with a licensed therapist who can aid you in identifying patterns of distorted thinking and apply CBT techniques to your everyday life.
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