Strategies for Regulating Negative Thought Patterns: A Guide
Cognitive distortions, also known as "stinking thinking," are negative or irrational thoughts that lack evidence and can significantly influence how one feels and behaves. These distortions are common and everyone experiences them to some degree, but they can be harmful when they happen too frequently or in more extreme forms.
One such distortion is overgeneralization, which is seeing a pattern based upon a single event or being overly broad when drawing conclusions. For example, failing at a task once might lead to the thought that one is always destined to fail.
Emotional reasoning is another common distortion. This involves negative feelings informing thoughts without facts to support them. An example of emotional reasoning is saying "I feel like nobody likes me" even when one has friends.
Magnification or catastrophizing involves exaggerating the importance of a situation or event. This distortion can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress. For instance, a small mistake at work might be interpreted as a career-ending disaster.
Personalization and blame is the belief that one is responsible for events outside of one's control. This distortion can lead to feelings of guilt and self-blame. An example of this is blaming oneself for a friend's decision to end a relationship.
Discounting the positive involves feeling like good things that have happened don't count or one's accomplishments don't matter. This distortion can lead to feelings of depression and low self-esteem.
Jumping to conclusions involves interpreting the meaning of a situation with little or no evidence, such as mind reading or fortune telling. This distortion can lead to misunderstandings and misjudgments.
Labeling is assigning labels to ourselves or other people. This distortion can lead to self-stigma and harm relationships. For example, labeling oneself as a "failure" can reinforce negative beliefs and behaviors.
Mental filter is when one pays attention only to certain types of evidence or focuses on the negative. This distortion can lead to a biased view of the world and one's experiences.
All-or-nothing thinking, also called "black-and-white thinking," is the tendency to think in absolutes. This distortion can lead to inflexibility and rigidity in thinking.
Fortunately, there are many tools and resources available to help manage cognitive distortions. Mindfulness has been shown to help decrease anxiety and depression. Mindfulness can be very effective in moments of personalization and blame, allowing one to take a step back from their inner voice, label it, and focus on the task at hand.
There are also apps for mindfulness, anxiety, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), support groups, group therapy or coaching, employee assistance programs through one's job, or online communities. If managing stinking thinking on one's own is difficult, it may help to get professional support from a therapist specializing in CBT.
The most common cognitive distortions in psychotherapeutic counseling include automatic negative thoughts, catastrophizing, mind-reading, overgeneralization, and labeling, which lead to irrational behaviors and negative mood, especially in disorders like depression and anxiety. These distortions often involve unrealistic pessimistic expectations and self-reinforcing negative beliefs about oneself, the world, and the future.
By understanding the different types of cognitive distortions and learning how to manage them, one can lead a more balanced and fulfilling life.
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