Distorted thinking
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Distorted thinking
I asked my therapist this morning for some handouts and worksheets. I'm going to start working on a daily mood log. It was interesting to read examples of distorted thinking (which I am to list on the log, as well as negative thoughts, and positive thoughts):
Distorted thinking
1. All-or-nothing thinking: You look at things in absolutely, black-and-white categories.
2. Overgeneralization: You view a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.
3. Mental filter: You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.
4. Discounting the positives: You insist that your accomplishments or positive qualities don't count.
5. Jumping to conclusions: You conclude things are bad without any definite evidence.
(a) Mind reading: You assume people are reacting negatively towards you.
(b) Fortune-telling: You predict that things will turn out badly.
6. Magnification or minimization: You blow things way out of proportion or you shrink their importance.
7. Emotional reasoning: You reason from how you feel: "I feel like an idiot, so I must be one."
8. "Should" statements: You criticize yourself or others with "shoulds," "shouldn'ts,"musts," "oughts,", and "have-tos."
9. Labeling: Instead of saying, "I made a mistake," you tell yourself, "I'm a jerk" or "a loser."
10. Blame: You blame yourself for something you weren't entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways that you contributed to a problem.
(from Ten Days to Self-esteem, by David D. Burns, M.D.)
#2 and #4 have been kicking my butt as of late!
Distorted thinking
1. All-or-nothing thinking: You look at things in absolutely, black-and-white categories.
2. Overgeneralization: You view a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.
3. Mental filter: You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.
4. Discounting the positives: You insist that your accomplishments or positive qualities don't count.
5. Jumping to conclusions: You conclude things are bad without any definite evidence.
(a) Mind reading: You assume people are reacting negatively towards you.
(b) Fortune-telling: You predict that things will turn out badly.
6. Magnification or minimization: You blow things way out of proportion or you shrink their importance.
7. Emotional reasoning: You reason from how you feel: "I feel like an idiot, so I must be one."
8. "Should" statements: You criticize yourself or others with "shoulds," "shouldn'ts,"musts," "oughts,", and "have-tos."
9. Labeling: Instead of saying, "I made a mistake," you tell yourself, "I'm a jerk" or "a loser."
10. Blame: You blame yourself for something you weren't entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways that you contributed to a problem.
(from Ten Days to Self-esteem, by David D. Burns, M.D.)
#2 and #4 have been kicking my butt as of late!
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,294
Awesome food for thought. It was so useful to see the different ways written out, to think about them - it's much easier to change distorted thinking if one sees a TYPE and PATTERN, and then can work on that, rather than just think "my thinking is distorted and I should improve it." I'm going to print them out and hang them up, and look at them now and then. Recognition is the first step to change!
Thanks so much, and look forward to more tidbits!
CLMI
Thanks so much, and look forward to more tidbits!
CLMI
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Land of Cotton
Posts: 3,433
Originally Posted by Freedom1990 
I'll have more good stuff to share as time goes on. We're going to start doing some dialectical behavioral therapy. 
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 31,179
(((DeVon))) - good stuff!! I can, at some time or another, say "yep, that's me" on all of them. Fortunately, I'm a little better at recognizing it, but still a work in progress.
Printing this out, as we speak
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
Printing this out, as we speak
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: the moon, milky way
Posts: 1,250
3, 5, and 8
Those are the ones I have the hardest time with. I tend to dwell on the negatives. To the point that I can't even see any positives or distort things so much it is as if I am in a completely different situation than the one I am in.
I really get stuck with that. I need to work on it.
Great post.. thanks.
Those are the ones I have the hardest time with. I tend to dwell on the negatives. To the point that I can't even see any positives or distort things so much it is as if I am in a completely different situation than the one I am in.
I really get stuck with that. I need to work on it.
Great post.. thanks.
Skipper
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: South Texas, USA
Posts: 827
Thanks for posting this. I have to work on 5a, 6, and 8 mostly. My question is: So, if I think these distorted thoughts, what am I supposed to think? Are there guidelines of 'right thought'? I need something like that.
To thine own self be true.
Join Date: May 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 5,924
I googled DBT and got to the Wikipedia site for it. As I read, I realized that I had forgotten that I decided some years ago I probably needed this therapy to learn how to handle stress from daily life, and my emotions. At that time I looked for DBT therapy around here but there are no DBT therapists near me. I read the Wikipedia site and got teary-eyed and choked up reading the things they teach. The weird thing is, I don't know what that reaction means, if anything, and that is why I am sharing how I reacted with you. Do you think it means I am sad about it? Or just reacting? Does being teary-eyed and choked up necessarily mean that there is an emotion behind it? I don't know how I feel about this, frustrated maybe.
Thank you for sharing DeVon, I am going to look again and see if any new therapists have moved into my area who teach this. I hope I did not hijack your thread by talking about myself.
Thanks for listening.
Thank you for sharing DeVon, I am going to look again and see if any new therapists have moved into my area who teach this. I hope I did not hijack your thread by talking about myself.
Thanks for listening.
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,443
Well said CLMI!! I'm printing it out too.
Thanks Freedom!!
I identify with too many of them, although I do acknowledge that I am wayyyy better then I was 18mos ago!!
Thanks Freedom!!
I identify with too many of them, although I do acknowledge that I am wayyyy better then I was 18mos ago!!
Originally Posted by catlovermi
Awesome food for thought. It was so useful to see the different ways written out, to think about them - it's much easier to change distorted thinking if one sees a TYPE and PATTERN, and then can work on that, rather than just think "my thinking is distorted and I should improve it." I'm going to print them out and hang them up, and look at them now and then. Recognition is the first step to change!
Thanks so much, and look forward to more tidbits!
CLMI
Thanks so much, and look forward to more tidbits!
CLMI
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 42
Distorted thinking
1. All-or-nothing thinking: You look at things in absolutely, black-and-white categories.
2. Overgeneralization: You view a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.
3. Mental filter: You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.
4. Discounting the positives: You insist that your accomplishments or positive qualities don't count.
5. Jumping to conclusions: You conclude things are bad without any definite evidence.
(a) Mind reading: You assume people are reacting negatively towards you.
(b) Fortune-telling: You predict that things will turn out badly.
6. Magnification or minimization: You blow things way out of proportion or you shrink their importance.
7. Emotional reasoning: You reason from how you feel: "I feel like an idiot, so I must be one."
8. "Should" statements: You criticize yourself or others with "shoulds," "shouldn'ts,"musts," "oughts,", and "have-tos."
9. Labeling: Instead of saying, "I made a mistake," you tell yourself, "I'm a jerk" or "a loser."
10. Blame: You blame yourself for something you weren't entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways that you contributed to a problem.
(from Ten Days to Self-esteem, by David D. Burns, M.D.)
I read Feeling Good by Dr. Burns many years ago - probably 10 or 12 years ago. This book helped me tremendously. The above list was addressed in that book as well and they are words to live by. What helped me most was removing the word "should" from my vocabulary. It's amazing how my expectations became much more realistic just by that one point. And actually, they are ALL GOOD POINTS and very helpful.
1. All-or-nothing thinking: You look at things in absolutely, black-and-white categories.
2. Overgeneralization: You view a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.
3. Mental filter: You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.
4. Discounting the positives: You insist that your accomplishments or positive qualities don't count.
5. Jumping to conclusions: You conclude things are bad without any definite evidence.
(a) Mind reading: You assume people are reacting negatively towards you.
(b) Fortune-telling: You predict that things will turn out badly.
6. Magnification or minimization: You blow things way out of proportion or you shrink their importance.
7. Emotional reasoning: You reason from how you feel: "I feel like an idiot, so I must be one."
8. "Should" statements: You criticize yourself or others with "shoulds," "shouldn'ts,"musts," "oughts,", and "have-tos."
9. Labeling: Instead of saying, "I made a mistake," you tell yourself, "I'm a jerk" or "a loser."
10. Blame: You blame yourself for something you weren't entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways that you contributed to a problem.
(from Ten Days to Self-esteem, by David D. Burns, M.D.)
I read Feeling Good by Dr. Burns many years ago - probably 10 or 12 years ago. This book helped me tremendously. The above list was addressed in that book as well and they are words to live by. What helped me most was removing the word "should" from my vocabulary. It's amazing how my expectations became much more realistic just by that one point. And actually, they are ALL GOOD POINTS and very helpful.
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