Cognitive Distortions and What to Do About Them

Certain patterns of thinking make you more likely to experience anxiety, depression, anger, and other problems. These patterns are called cognitive distortions, and you can learn to counter them.

Cognitive distortions are a type of thinking we are all vulnerable to. The term refers to thinking that is negatively biased in some way. The thoughts can be about ourselves, others, or the world around us. They often happen automatically — like a reflex.

Everyone experiences cognitive distortions to some degree, but when they happen a lot they can cause anxiety, low mood, and distress. 

Here are the most common types of cognitive distortions (Burns, 1999):

1. All-or-Nothing Thinking - The tendency to evaluate oneself, others, or situations in extreme, black-and-white ways.
2. Overgeneralization
3. Hyper-focusing on negative aspects of oneself or a situation.
4. Disqualifying the positive
5. Jumping to conclusions
6. Assuming that because you feel a certain way, your thoughts must be true
7. Applying critical words like “should” or “must” to ourselves or others.
8. Assigning negative labels to ourselves or others.
9. Assuming responsibility for something that you do not have complete control over.