Negative distortions

Negative distortions are automatic thinking patterns that narrow or distort the view of a situation toward threat, guilt, or failure.

Definition

Includes: catastrophizing, black and white thinking, mind reading, overgeneralizing and filtering the positive. They can increase anxiety, stress and low mood when they become the dominant way of interpretation.

Key ideas

Missing key ideas.

Practice and life

Write down a difficult thought and add three columns: facts for, facts against, more balanced interpretation.

Common misunderstanding

It is a mistake to fight every thought as an enemy. The goal is to test interpretations, not to pretend that difficulties do not exist.

Questions for self-reflection

No questions for self-reflection.

Sources

No sources.