It’s easy to believe we are responding to life “exactly as it is.” That we see the full picture all the time, and that surely others see it the same way as us. So it can be a bit uncomfortable to think that sometimes there could be a different truth than the one we see – there could be another side to the story.
The fact is, we often respond to the story our minds tell us about life. We come to conclusions that may be partly true, completely untrue, or somewhere in between. This is where cognitive distortions come in.
To help you better understand these forms of thinking errors, this page takes a closer look at:
Cognitive distortions are defined as automatic, biased, or inaccurate patterns of thinking that lead a person to interpret themselves, other people, or situations in a skewed way.[1]
Cognitive distortions are mostly looked at in relation to depression and anxiety because people may automatically interpret situations in self-critical or hopeless ways. However, you might be surprised to hear that cognitive distortions are not always negative in their tone.
For this reason, treatments for cognitive distortions are designed to target unrealistic automatic thoughts. This is because, even if the unrealistic thoughts don’t have a negative tone, they can still contribute to emotional distress and unhelpful behavior.[1]
But why is this the case? Because even if positive, the thought is still untrue and might lead to denial and the avoidance of real-life problems or responsibilities.
The Cognitive Distortions Scale (a questionnaire) measures common thinking errors across personal achievement and relationship situations, showing how the patterns can show up in how we judge ourselves as well as how we read other people.[2] Below are twelve common types of cognitive distortions, with examples of how they might show up in real life.
All-or-nothing thinking, also known as “black-and-white” or “dichotomous thinking,” happens when you see things in extremes and there is little or no room for nuances or grey areas. Examples include:
Research has shown how some people have a stronger tendency to divide experiences into rigid either/or categories, which underlies this form of thinking.[3] It is also one of the distortions closely associated with depression symptoms.[4]
Example: You get a piece of feedback criticising some recent work, and you think, I’m terrible at my job. Or worse, I’m getting fired. A more balanced thought might be, That feedback was unsettling, and I have room to improve, but it doesn’t undo all the things I do well.
When the mind takes a specific thing and turns it into a blanket rule, this is overgeneralization. It often goes beyond the moment and can shape what we expect or believe about the future.
Overgeneralization can stop you from taking things into context on a case-by-case basis and has also been found to predict depression symptoms and the recurrence of major depressive episodes.[3]
Example: You aren’t invited to a dinner party some of your good friends are going to, so you think the person doesn’t like you, and that nobody wants you at this dinner…or any dinner party. The healthier thought might be, I wasn’t invited, but that’s okay. I don’t need to look for a reason as to why.
Sometimes called “selective abstraction,” mental filtering is a bit like looking at life through a keyhole showing only what’s going badly. Selective abstraction was first described in Aaron Beck’s early work on depression, where he observed that depressed patients often focused on one negative detail while ignoring the wider context of a situation. Later research measuring cognitive distortions has continued to include selective abstraction as a key thinking error linked with depression.[2][3]
Example: You give a presentation and receive ten kind comments, but one person looks distracted. Instead of remembering the support, you think that everyone thought the presentation was boring. A healthier response would be to think, One person looked distracted, but most people responded well.
Discounting the positive can sound similar to mental filtering, but it is slightly different. Here, the person does notice something good, but then immediately explains it away. This distortion can be especially painful because it stops positive evidence from being absorbed.
One study found “minimizing or disqualifying the positive” to be high in people with social anxiety, alongside personalization and labeling. This shows that when reassurance or praise is dismissed too quickly, fear of social judgment or rejection increases.[5]
Example: Your boss says, “You handled that really well.” But you might think, She says that to everyone. A more balanced thought would be, Maybe I find compliments hard to take in, but this may still be genuine feedback.
When the mind jumps to the worst possible outcome, this is called “catastrophizing.” It often begins with What if? and becomes I won’t cope. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale was developed in 1995 to study catastrophic thinking, and meaningfully measures catastrophizing by weighing up factors like:[6][7]
Example: When you have a once-off headache, you think: What if this is something seriously wrong? What if it’s a terminal illness? Even though we know headaches are common and it could be a result of a number of small things, and is likely to pass.
Mind-reading is essentially what the name implies: when you assume you know what someone else is thinking. The mind fills in the blanks, and often fills them in negatively. Research found that a tendency to interpret ambiguous social situations negatively was linked with social anxiety, online peer victimization, and avoidance behavior in young adults.[8]
Example: You send a message but don’t get an immediate reply. Instead of thinking, There are many reasons someone might not reply quickly. I don’t know what they’re thinking yet. You think, They’re annoyed with me.
Fortune-telling is believing something will go badly, without any solid evidence for it. It often fuels avoidance because if your mind decides This will go terribly, you might not try at all. It’s been shown that fortune-telling is linked with catastrophizing and “should” statements, suggesting negative predictions can become part of a wide pattern of fear-based thinking.[9]
Example: You believe you’ll embarrass yourself in a job interview instead of thinking, I’m nervous, and the interview might be challenging, but I’ve prepared the best I can, and I can’t know the outcome before it happens.
When we think our feelings are proof of reality, this is emotional reasoning. It’s thinking, I feel this way, so it must be true.
Feelings are important information, but they are not always the best evidence or compass for life. Emotional reasoning is very common in people with:[10][11]
Example: Thinking, I feel unlovable, so I must be unlovable. A more balanced thought would be, I feel unlovable, and it’s painful, but this is not proof that it is true. Maybe I need support, rest, or reassurance.
Personalization is taking all the responsibility for something that’s not fully your fault, or not about you at all. This can create intense guilt or shame, and research found that personalizing was one of the cognitive distortions more strongly represented in the language of people with self-reported depression online.[11]
Example: A good friend is withdrawn at dinner, so you immediately think you’ve done something wrong to upset them. A more balanced thought would be, She might be stressed or dealing with something I don’t know about. I can check in, but won’t assume I caused it.
“Should” statements hold us to rigid rules, and hold other people to them too. These rigid demands are linked to irrational beliefs, and a review of studies found irrational beliefs to be associated with psychological distress, including:[12]
Example: You tell yourself you should be over something like grief or a heartbreak. But a more compassionate way of looking at it would be: Healing doesn’t happen in a straight line. I want to progress without being hard on myself for still struggling some days.
Labeling is when a person reduces themselves or someone else to one global, usually negative description.
Example: After forgetting a doctor’s appointment, you think, I’m an idiot. A more balanced thought would be, I forgot something important, and I need to take responsibility, but that does not define my whole character.
Magnification and minimization work together: Magnification exaggerates the importance of something negative, while minimization shrinks the importance of something positive. These cognitive distortions can be especially damaging because they distort the proportion of emotions – the bad feels enormous, and the good feels totally irrelevant.
Example: You make a typo and think, This ruins everything, ignoring the fact that the report was detailed and well received. A more balanced thought would be, The typo was a mistake I can correct, but it doesn’t cancel out the quality and work that has gone into the report.
AMFM is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
The good news is, if you experience cognitive distortion, there are ways to help train your mind into more positive thinking. You are certainly not stuck with every thought your mind throws at you. The following are some evidence-based approaches for treating cognitive distortions.
The most common treatment approach is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which helps you notice distorted thoughts, slow them down, and test them against real-life evidence. Research shows strong evidence for improvement of distorted thinking with the help of CBT across several mental health conditions, including:[13]
What does CBT actually entail? It might involve writing down the situation, identifying the automatic thought, naming the cognitive distortion, and building a more balanced response. Over time, this helps your brain create new thinking habits; evaluating and shifting inaccurate beliefs in this way has proven positive outcomes.[14]
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) helps with cognitive distortions, especially as they become stronger during emotional distress. With this treatment, you can learn to:
For example, I made a mistake, and I am still capable. DBT-informed care may include individual support, several daily clinical groups, mindfulness, distress-tolerance practice, guided exercises, and coaching during difficult moments.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps you step back from strong, but inaccurate thoughts. You’ll learn to see them as “just thoughts,” instead of treating them as instructions. Sessions combine talk therapy, mindfulness, values work, and practical exercises so you can make choices based on what matters to you, even while an uncomfortable thought is present.
A Mission For Michael (AMFM) provides treatment for adults experiencing various conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-478-4383 to learn about our current treatment options.
See our residences in Southern California’s Orange County & San Diego County.
Take a look at our homes on the east side of the Metro area in Washington County.
View our facilities in Fairfax County, VA within the DC metro area.
Cognitive distortions, or “thinking errors,” can make everything feel more threatening, hopeless, or personal than it needs to be. At AMFM (A Mission For Michael) Mental Health Treatment, we can help. Our treatment programs can help you notice cognitive distortions earlier, understand what triggers them, and question the thoughts that create chaos in your life.
We offer an intimate, focused mental health treatment experience for adults in home-like settings that are carefully maintained to be peaceful, comfortable spaces. AMFM Mental Health Treatment provides the full spectrum of care, including residential and outpatient treatment programs.
Our locations in California, Minnesota, and Virginia accept insurance and are in-network with most major providers. To check your insurance coverage for mental health care, simply complete our confidential online verification form or call us at 866-478-4383.
Reach out to us if you would like to start the admissions process or learn more about how we can support your mental well-being. Our compassionate team is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance with no obligation. With the support of our team and a treatment plan that works for you, you can learn to find greater peace by separating facts from automatic thoughts.
100% Confidential
No Commitment
Instant Results
At AMFM, we strive to provide the most up-to-date and accurate medical information based on current best practices, evolving information, and our team’s approach to care. Our aim is that our readers can make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Our reviewers are credentialed medical providers specializing and practicing behavioral healthcare. We follow strict guidelines when fact-checking information and only use credible sources when citing statistics and medical information. Look for the medically reviewed badge on our articles for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate or out of date, please let us know at info@amfmhealthcare.com
