Cognitive distortion

A cognitive distortion is a thought pattern that causes a person to view reality in an inaccurate way. Generally, cognitive distortions make people view things in more negative ways. These errors in thinking are not just misunderstandings. Instead, they are patterns in thinking that the brain develops that change the way a person views reality. Cognitive distortions are common, and most people experience them at different points in their lives. However, some people experience constant cognitive distortions. Experiencing cognitive distortions on a regular basis correlates to people experiencing anxiety and depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapy methods can help people identify cognitive distortions and change their patterns of thinking. The existence of cognitive distortions is one of the most important concepts used to develop CBT.

Background

Psychiatrist Aaron Beck was one of the first researchers to identify and try to understand cognitive distortions. After Beck graduated from medical school, he realized that many of his patients experienced false assumptions or distorted thinking. Beck saw patterns in the various types of cognitive distortions. He used errors in thinking to help him pioneer CBT, which has since become a common practice in the field of psychiatry. Beck developed CBT to help people modify or change their thinking.

Overview

Different types of cognitive distortions exist, but they are all patterns of thinking or believing that are inaccurate. They also all have the potential to cause a person psychological harm. They can also be indicators of mental health conditions. Although almost all people have experienced some types of cognitive distortions at some point, people who constantly experience cognitive distortions are more likely to experience conditions such as depression and anxiety. Some scientists believe that people can develop cognitive distortions to deal with negative experiences or trauma. They also believe that prolonged trauma or negative experience can worsen the severity of cognitive distortions.

Medical professionals have identified numerous types of cognitive distortions. One type is all-or-nothing thinking, which is also called polarized thinking or black-and-white thinking. People who experience all-or-nothing thinking often expect extremes to take place. They look at situations as being positive or negative with no middle ground. For example, people who see themselves either as perfect or as total failures have experienced this cognitive distortion.

Overgeneralization is another type of cognitive distortion. This happens when people make assumptions about all situations based on one situation. For example, a person who gets one flat tire may think, “I always have bad luck.” Words such as always and never are common in overgeneralizations. People who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety are more likely to experience this type of cognitive distortion.

Another common cognitive distortion is called mental filter. This happens when people focus on small details about a situation and allow the small details to color their view of the entire situation. Often, mental filter causes people to focus on minor negative details about a situation. For example, think of a person who hosts a party filled with many guests. One of the guests says something rude to the host. The host may think that the party was terrible and may never want to invite the guests again. Focusing on the one negative aspect of the party is an example of mental filter.

Jumping to conclusions is another type of cognitive distortion. When people jump to conclusions, they develop negative conclusions about situations even though they do not have the facts to support their negative ideas. People can engage in two types of this distortion. The first is called mind reading. This is when people jump to the conclusion that other people are thinking negatively about them or reacting negatively to them. For example, a person who thinks a coworker is in a bad mood because they dislike the person without having any evidence that this is true is experiencing mind reading. The other type of this distortion is called fortune telling. This type of distortion happens when a person makes a prediction about what will happen without having any evidence to support the prediction. For example, people who think they will perform poorly on a task without having evidence to support the idea are experiencing fortune telling.

Two more related types of cognitive distortions are magnification and minimizing. These happen when people exaggerate problems or negative situations and minimize positive events or situations. Magnification is also called catastrophizing. For example, a person whose loved one is late arriving home may catastrophize that the loved one got into an accident and may be in serious danger. Studies show that chronic pain and childhood trauma can make catastrophizing more common.

Personalizing is a cognitive distortion that occurs when people assume they are personally responsible for outcomes and actions that are beyond their control. Sometimes people can also experience this distortion when they believe they have been personally excluded or targeted.

Emotional reasoning is another common cognitive distortion. It is the belief that a person’s emotions are truth. Emotions help people interpret the world, but people also have to remember that their own emotions do not affect the reality of a situation. For example, think of a person who is feeling sad. That person might interpret their entire life as being sad or hopeless. In reality, emotions and moods can change without affecting reality.

Labeling is a cognitive distortion that causes people to identify themselves with labels. Often, these labels are negative and reductive. People who have lost jobs might think of themselves as failures, even though one aspect of their lives does not define who they are. People can also use labeling on others. This, again, is unhelpful because it reduces the person to one label when people are complicated and multifaceted.

People who experience cognitive distortions can change the way they think to help eliminate the distortions. Therapists use CBT to help people combat these distortions. Often, it takes time in therapy for people to combat cognitive distortions, especially deeply rooted distortions. The first step in combating cognitive distortions is identifying them. Often people who experience cognitive distortions do not realize that they are having thoughts that are distorted. After people identify the flawed thinking, they can focus on reframing situations in their mind. People who realize they are jumping to conclusions can try to think about the facts they have about situations to help them understand why jumping to conclusions was unnecessary and unhelpful.

Bibliography

Ackerman, Courtney E. “Cognitive Distortions: When Your Brain Lies to You.” Positive Psychology, 31 Oct. 2020, positivepsychology.com/cognitive-distortions/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2021.

Beck, Aaron T. “A 60-Year Evolution of Cognitive Theory and Therapy.” Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 14, no. 1, 2019.

“Cognitive Distortions.” Therapist Aid LLC, www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/cognitive-distortions.pdf. Accessed 10 Feb. 2021.

Hartney, Elizabeth. “10 Cognitive Distortions Identified in CBT.” Very Well Mind, 30 Nov. 2020, www.verywellmind.com/ten-cognitive-distortions-identified-in-cbt-22412. Accessed 10 Feb. 2021.

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Whalley, Matthew. “Cognitive Distortions: Unhelpful Thinking Habits.” Psychology Tools, 18 Mar. 2019, www.psychologytools.com/articles/unhelpful-thinking-styles-cognitive-distortions-in-cbt/. Accessed 10 Feb. 2021.