Cognitive Distortions and unhelpful ways of thinking

Our Thoughts and Thinking Styles

The thoughts we have impact on the way we feel. When we feel low or anxious our thought patterns tend to change. The way that we interpret events is also affected.

Throughout the day we have thousands of thoughts which pop automatically into our mind with little effort. The thoughts often seem plausible. When you feel low or anxious the thoughts you get tend to be unhelpful and irrational.

When something happens in your life, you give that event a meaning. For example, perhaps a friend doesnt phone when they said they would, the meaning you give that might be she or he doesnt really like me that much because they havent bothered to call. This thought would have popped up automatically into your head.

These unhelpful thinking patterns can become a habit so that whenever anything is not quite right, you default to an unhelpful thinking style, e.g. mind reading, catastrophising etc.

Unhelpful ways of thinking

Mental Filter

This is where you focus on the negative things.

Are you only noticing the bad things? Are you ignoring the good and average things?

For example, focusing on the fact you have done one thing wrong and ignoring that you have done all the other things right.

Mind Reading

You assume that you know what other people think of you. When you are mind reading you usually think that people are saying negative things about you.

Example: They think I am stupid

Fortune Telling

Predicting what is going to happen in the future (again, usually negative things).

Example: I know Im going to fail the exam

Compare and Despair

You compare yourself or your situation to others and their situation. You usually see the good things about other people and the bad things about yourself.

Example: Other people are better at this than I am

Critical Self

Here you put yourself down and blame yourself for things that are not your responsibility.

Example: Im useless at making friends as they did not talk to me very much

Shoulds and musts

This is where your thoughts use words like I should or I must. This puts pressure on you and sets unrealistic expectations.

Example: I should be better at this.

Judgements

This is where you make judgements about situations, events and yourself rather than describing what is happening.

Example: It is terrible that I got that wrong

Emotional Reasoning

This is where you feel that it is true so it must be true.

Example: I feel anxious so I must be in danger

Catastrophising

Imagining and believing that the worst case scenario can and will happen.

Example: If someone is late, you think they have been in an accident

Black and White Thinking

You tend to view things at opposite ends of the spectrum, for example good or bad. You dont see things as falling in between these two extremes and find it difficult to compromise.

Example: Everything I do goes wrong

Identifying Unhelpful Thoughts

Have a look at the unhelpful thinking styles listed above and see how many of these you identify with. Think of some examples of thoughts that you have and see if you can match them to any of the thinking errors. To be able to change the way you see things, you need to
start to recognise and identify these unhelpful thoughts when they are triggered.

Here are some questions which can help you identify some of these thoughts:

• What was going through my mind when I started to feel this way?

• What does this situation say about me?

• What am I thinking about me, other people, or what might happen in the future?

• What is the worst thing that I think could happen to me?

• What am I thinking about how other people view me?

• What am I thinking about other people?

• What thoughts do I have of me in that situation?

• What is it that I am worrying will happen?

Adapted from:
Brosan, L. and Hogan, H. (2007) An Introduction to Coping with Depression. London: Constable and Robinson Ltd.

Gilbert, P. (2009). Overcoming Depression. London: Robinson. Greenberger, D., and Padesky, C. (1995). Mind Over Mood. New York: Guildford Press.

Westbrook, D. (2005) Managing Depression. Oxford: Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre.