Cognitive Distortions Irrational thoughts that influence our emotions. Everyone experiences cognitive distortions to some degree, but in their more extreme forms they can be maladaptive and destructive.

Magnification and Minimization Exaggerating the importance of events or making too big a deal of mistakes Minimizing the importance of events or thinking your achievements are unimportant

Catastrophizing Seeing only the WORST possible outcomes of a situation. Not being able to see the good in a situation, only the bad. One event in the morning makes the whole day ruined. Glass is half empty instead of half full.

Over generalization Making broad interpretations from a single or few events. Your friends didn’t save you a seat at lunch so you think “no one likes me” “I don’t have any friends” You got a low score on your English assignments so you think “I am not a good writer, I’m bad in English class, I hate English”

Personalization The belief that one is responsible for events outside of their own control. “I am responsible to ‘make’ other people happy” “She ‘makes’ me sad! “He ‘makes’ me angry! Truth: We are only in control of ourselves not others!

Jumping to Conclusions: Interpreting the meaning of a situation with little or no evidence Mind Reading- she thinks I’m ugly Fortune Telling- this is going to be bad

Should/could/would statements The belief that things should be a certain way can cause guilt and shame and help you feel badly about yourself. I should always be nice and never tell how I really feel I could have gotten all A’s if the teacher didn’t give me a bad grade I would be prettier if I didn’t have this zit, now I’m so ugly

All-or-nothing thinking Thinking in absolutes such as “always” My mom is always mad at me “never” I never do anything right “every” Every one hates me This kind of thinking seems normal because it is so common. This causes low self-esteem and poor relationships.