Understanding Cognitive Errors
Cognitive errors can have a dramatic effect on our mental health and relationships.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely respected, evidence-based approach to addressing depression, anxiety, and stress. At the heart of CBT is the concept of cognitive errors, also known as cognitive distortions. These are irrational and often automatic thoughts that distort our perception of reality, leading to unpleasant emotions and destructive behaviors.
Common Cognitive Errors
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking
This error, also called "black-and-white thinking," occurs when people see things in extremes, which then lead to extreme emotions and behaviors. If something doesn’t turn out perfectly, they may see it as a complete failure. For instance, if someone makes a small mistake at work, they might believe they’re completely incompetent.
2. Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization happens when individuals take a single negative event and believe it applies to all situations. Using words like “always” and “never” are clues one is overgeneralizing. For example, if someone experiences rejection from a job application, they might think, “I’ll never get hired anywhere.”
3. Mental Filtering
This involves acknowledging information only if it aligns with one’s beliefs. Information that doesn’t fit their belief system is ignored. For example, those who struggle with shame will filter out compliments from a positive performance at work.
4. Discounting the Positive
This cognitive error occurs when individuals have a bias way of processing information. Instead of seeing a positive event as positive, they see it as neutral or negative. For example, even if others point out their strengths, they may dismiss the positive feedback as trivial or unearned, which reinforces negative self-perceptions.
5. Fortune Telling
Here, individuals make assumptions or predictions about the future without sufficient evidence. For example, they may assume they will forget their speech at a presentation in front of their boss.
6. Mind Reading
People who mind read assume what other people are thinking….and the tendency is to believe others are thinking negatively about them! This may happen when an individual sees a harsh facial expression at dinner and assumes that the person does not approve of them.
7. Catastrophizing
People who catastrophize imagine the worst possible scenario and believe it’s inevitable and they won’t be able to cope. It’s making a mountain out of a molehill. This thought pattern is the hallmark of anxiety, as individuals anticipate disaster in even minor situations.
8. Emotional Reasoning
Emotional reasoning involves interpreting reality based on feelings rather than facts. For example, if someone feels anxious before a social event, they might conclude that the event is bound to go poorly.
9. Making Demands
When people use rigid or extreme statements like “I should be more successful” or “They should be nicer,” they set unrealistic expectations for themselves and others. Pretty soon, we’re “should-ing” ourselves all day long! This often leads to shame, disappointment, or guilt.
10. Labeling
Labeling involves attaching negative labels to oneself or others. For example, if someone makes a mistake, they might label themselves as “stupid” instead of acknowledging the error as isolated.
11. Personalization
Personalization is when individuals take excessive responsibility for external events. If a friend is in a bad mood, they might assume they caused it, even if unrelated.
12. Othering
Othering is assuming we have good intentions while those with different values or opinions have bad intentions. This creates distance between us and those in our families, at work, or in the larger community.
13. Low Frustration Tolerance
This is the error of thinking that when somethings difficult to tolerate, it’s “intolerable.” For example, when one is overwhelmed with the commotion of the grocery store on a busy Saturday, rather than acknowledging the strong emotions will pass, they leave their cart in the aisle.
Cognitive errors can significantly impact our emotional well-being and how we engage with the world. By knowing what they are and being mindful of when we’re caught in them, we can employ strategies to align our thoughts with the truth. We can break free from these negative patterns and gain a healthier, more balanced perspective. This will not only improve our mood and reduce anxiety, but also empower us to approach life’s challenges with a clearer, more rational mindset.
Be Still Holistic Counseling & Wellness specializes in serving women and teen girls who are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief & loss, and chronic illness & pain who want to stop feeling exhausted and overwhelmed and start living in balance and freedom.
Be Still Holistic Counseling & Wellness
Learn more about therapy for teen girls in Cary, North Carolina
