1. All or nothing thinking
All-or-nothing thinking is a cognitive distortion in which an individual views things as either one extreme or the other, without any room for variance or middle ground. This can manifest in several ways, such as “I’m either a complete success or an utter failure”, “I have to do everything perfectly or it’s not worth doing at all”, or “If I don't get an A in this class, then I'm a complete failure.”
2. Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization is when someone draws sweeping conclusions based on one event or experience. The individual may say things like “I always fail”, “nothing ever works out for me”, or “everyone hates me.”
3. Mental Filter
Mental filter is a cognitive distortion in which individuals focus primarily on the negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positive ones. They may become preoccupied with perceived flaws and shortcomings rather than recognizing any of the positives.
4. Discounting the positives
Discounting the positive occurs when an individual refuses to acknowledge positive events or experiences in their life, instead attributing them to external sources such as luck or chance. An example of this is “I got a good grade on that test but it was only because I studied a lot” or “I did well on that project, but I just got lucky.”
5. Jumping to conclusions
Jumping to conclusions is when someone assumes something without any concrete evidence or facts to back it up. This can manifest in two ways: mind reading and fortune telling. Mind reading occurs when someone assumes they know how another person feels or what they are thinking without any evidence, while fortune telling is when someone predicts a negative future outcome without proper reasoning or facts
6. Magnification or Minimization
Magnification and minimization are two cognitive distortions that involve either exaggerating the importance of certain events (magnification) or downplaying the significance of them (minimization). Someone who experiences magnification may think “I cannot bear this pain” whereas someone who experiences minimization might tell themselves “It’s not so bad, I can handle it.”
7. Emotional Reasoning
Emotional reasoning is a type of cognitive distortion in which individuals make decisions based on their emotions rather than facts or logic. This can happen in the form of “I feel like a failure, so I must be one” or “I am scared, so it must be dangerous.”
8. Should Statements
Should statements are a type of cognitive distortion in which individuals put pressure on themselves by using the word “should.” This can manifest in an inflexible list of rules that someone believes they must follow or expectations that they have placed on themselves, often without any room for variance or understanding of personal circumstances. Examples include statements such as “I should always look perfect” or “I should be able to do this perfectly.”
9. Labeling
Labeling occurs when someone attaches labels to themselves or others based on their emotions, thoughts, and experiences. This type of cognitive distortion is destructive because it can cause the individual to think in an overly negative way about themselves or the world around them. An example would be “I'm a loser” or “He's an idiot.”
10. Personalization and Blame
Personalization and blame are two related cognitive distortions that involve blaming oneself for events outside of their control as well as taking responsibility for things that were not their fault. Examples include statements such as “It was my fault that my relationship ended” or “I'm to blame for being passed over for promotion at work.” Both personalization and blame can lead to feelings of guilt and shame that may be difficult to move beyond
