Unmasking Unhelpful Thoughts: Understanding and Challenging Cognitive Distortions

Do you feel like you are in a cycle of unhelpful thinking that doesn't positively contribute to your mental well-being? 

Well, if you answered yes, cognitive distortions may be the cause. Cognitive distortions are unhelpful or negative thoughts that can affect how we feel and, in turn, determine how we think or even behave. They can take the form of all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, mental filters, and other patterns that influence our emotions and behaviors. In this blog post, we will explore the different types of cognitive distortions, discuss reframing these thoughts, and how to seek professional help if these thoughts become overwhelming. By gaining a deeper understanding of cognitive distortions and training our minds to address them, we can work towards improving our mental well-being and resilience. 

Cognitive Distortion Defined

Cognitive distortions refer to biased and irrational thought patterns that can have a negative impact on our mental well-being. These distorted thoughts usually arise from our inner monologue and are consistent with our core beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world around us. Since these thought patterns are often subtle, it can be challenging to recognize them, particularly if they are prominent in our thinking. They can lead to a negatively biased interpretation of events, causing us to view reality inaccurately. For instance, if someone experiences the cognitive distortion of "all-or-nothing thinking," they may view even a minor mistake as a complete failure. Although it's normal to encounter cognitive distortions occasionally, it's crucial to address and become aware of them to prevent them from keeping us in a continuous cycle of unhelpful thought patterns. Cognitive distortions do not classify as a mental illness on their own, but if they are repeated and reinforced, they can contribute to conditions such as anxiety and depression.

10 Types of Cognitive Distortions

All or Nothing Thinking: Viewing a situation, a person, or an event only in extreme terms. It is also known as black-or-white thinking because a person may be unable or unwilling to acknowledge the "gray" areas. 

• "I didn't get the job, so I'm a complete failure."

Overgeneralization: Involves making broad conclusions based on one instance or example. 

• "I always make mistakes; I can never do anything right." 

Jumping to Conclusions: Making negative interpretations without actual evidence.

• "My friend didn't call me back; they must be mad at me."

Mental Filters: The occurrence of only focusing on the negatives and ignoring the positives.

• Receiving positive feedback but focusing only on the one constructive comment

Discounting the Positives: When a person acknowledges positive experiences but rejects them instead of accepting them. 

• "They are only complementing to make themselves feel better."

Magnification or Minimization: Exaggerating the importance of things (catastrophizing) or minimizing their importance. It involves blowing situations out of proportion or shrinking their importance.

• "I was late to work; my boss will be mad at me; they will fire me." (Catastrophizing)
• "I exceeded my sales goal, but it was just all luck." (Minimization)

Emotional Reasoning: Believing that because you feel a certain way, it must be true. Accepting one's emotions as fact, "I feel it; therefore, it must be true."

• "I feel like a failure, so I must be one."

"Should" Statements: Having a list of rules or beliefs that impose expectations about how you and others should behave. 

• "I should be working out every day."
• "They should be more active in the community." 

Labeling and Mislabeling: Attaching a negative label to yourself or others based on mistakes or shortcomings instead of describing an error. 

• "I answered a question wrong; I am so stupid." 

Personalization: Taking everything personally or assigning blame to yourself without any logical reason to believe you are to blame. 

• "My coworker is in a bad mood; it must be because of something I did."

The Reframing Process

It's important to recognize that cognitive distortions are not absolute truths. By noticing and reflecting on our unhelpful thoughts, we can better understand their influence and work towards challenging and reframing them. This process can help us identify and reframe cognitive distortions to maintain a more balanced and realistic perspective.

Three steps to Reframing:

1. Take Notice of your Thoughts 

Now that we understand how unhelpful thoughts can manifest in our minds, we can learn how to identify them. The next time you recognize a negative or unhelpful thought, try to distance yourself from it and evaluate whether it fits into one or more categories of cognitive distortions. Initially, it may be challenging to identify these types of thoughts and patterns, but with practice over time, you will become better at recognizing and addressing them.

2. Challenge the Distortion

After identifying an unhelpful thought in your thinking, the next step is to question it. This will enable you to examine the accuracy and validity of the cognitive distortion. Below are some examples of questions that can be used briefly to challenge these types of thoughts: 

• • • Is there actual evidence that supports this thought? Is there evidence to disprove this thought? 
    •  Are there alternatives? Am I assuming my point of view is the only one? 
    • Am I confusing my thoughts or feelings with a fact?
    • Will this matter tomorrow? Next week? In one year? In five years? 
    • Can I test my assumptions or beliefs to determine their accuracy? 
    • Are there aspects of the situation I am not seeing or acknowledging? 
    • Would I say this thought out loud to a friend? What advice would I give to a friend if this was their thought?

3. Reframe 

Upon reflecting and challenging our initial thoughts, it is possible to reframe our thinking or perspective. We can adjust how we view a situation by examining the evidence we have found through questioning our thoughts. For instance, a person may initially think, "I am a complete failure since I didn't get the job," but after reflecting on the evidence, they may change their thinking to, "Although I didn't get the job, there were many qualified candidates, and I will continue to apply to other jobs."

More examples of the reframed thoughts:

"I should always be perfect at everything I do"

• "I strive to do my best, but it's okay not to be perfect. I will learn and grow from my mistakes."

"My friend didn't call me back; they must be mad at me."

• "My friend didn't call me back; there could be many reasons why. I will talk to them before jumping to conclusions."

Reframing your unhelpful thoughts can have a positive impact on your mental well-being. It may take some practice, patience, and self-compassion, but these three steps can become easier and even automatic with time. 

Seeking Professional Guidance