Cognitive distortions are processes which twist our perception of reality. They’re irrational thoughts that are maladaptive to one’s mental health. They present in a couple of different forms:
- All-or-nothing thinking
- Catastrophizing
- Disqualifying or discounting the positive
- Emotional reasoning
- Labelling
- Magnification/minimization
- Mental filter
- Mind reading
- Fortune telling
- Overgeneralization
- Personalization
- Should and must statements
- Tunnel vision
- Selective abstraction
These thoughts are considered unhealthy and can degrade our quality of life. They need to be constantly challenged to diminish their power over us. One way of doing this is by filling in a thought record.