Cognitive Distortions driving distorted thinking? How to recognize when you might be engaging in it.

Have you ever come to a conclusion that you are absolutely sure of, only to question its legitimacy soon after? Or someone close to you points out that what you have concluded may be slightly irrational? You may have engaged in distorted thinking. Distorted thinking is driven by cognitive distortions that we are typically unaware we are using. And yes, we all use them at times, some more than others, but we all use them.

So, what are cognitive distortions? Cognitive distortions are automatic patterns of thinking that cause us to come to conclusions that may not be grounded in fact. They allow us to fill in the blanks when we do not have all the information needed to make a sound conclusion, however, we may not realize that we are filling in the blanks. Cognitive distortions often lead us to build a case, finding evidence to support or strengthen that case, even if the initial belief was biased, illogical, or based on an assumption. We are particularly susceptible to using cognitive distortions when we are angry or anxious because our ability to reason in these states is more limited.

So how do cognitive distortions work? They are essentially a formula we use to draw a conclusion when we may not otherwise have the information, or our reasoning part of the brain is not fully functioning (when we are stressed, anxious, or angry). An example of a cognitive distortion is ‘mind reading’ (assuming we know what others are thinking). Let’s say an acquaintance walks by me and I wave, and the acquaintance does not acknowledge me. I assume this means the acquaintance does not like me. I accept the conclusion as fact which negatively impacts how I feel. I don’t think about the possibility that the acquaintance did not recognize me.

How do we change distorted thinking? First, we must identify when we are using a cognitive distortion. There are several different cognitive distortions and the more you can learn about them, the easier it is to identify when you are using them. Once we are aware we are using them, we can then challenge the conclusion we come to because we realize that it is based on faulty logic. We can then start to assess alternative ways of looking at the situation. You can use a cognitive distortions worksheet such as the one attached below to identify the different cognitive distortions and then use a challenging questions worksheet (attached below) to challenge the conclusion and assess alternate possibilities.

Distorted thinking can negatively impact the way we view ourselves and others. They can also heighten anxiety or anger in any given situation. It’s time to start recognizing when our subjective realities are not objective truths.

To learn more about types of cognitive distortions click here.

Challenging questions worksheets: click here for a short version or here for a longer version with examples.