Cognitive Distortions that Add to Anxiety

Information about depression and other related health issues (includes medications).

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jj
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Cognitive Distortions that Add to Anxiety

Postby jj » Thu Jul 04, 2013 5:50 pm

...And adds to depression too I think. -Something I read that may help you... Not that it provides suggestions or techniques, but becoming aware of some of my unconstructive thinking patterns helps me to get closer to being able to change them.

-All-or-nothing thinking - Looking at things in black-or-white categories, with no middle ground. “If I fall short of perfection, I’m a total failure.”

-Overgeneralization - Generalizing from a single negative experience, expecting it to hold true forever. “I didn’t get hired for the job. I’ll never get any job.”

-The mental filter - Focusing on the negatives while filtering out all the positives. Noticing the one thing that went wrong, rather than all the things that went right.

-Diminishing the positive - Coming up with reasons why positive events don’t count. “I did well on the presentation, but that was just dumb luck.”

-Jumping to conclusions - Making negative interpretations without actual evidence. You act like a mind reader, “I can tell she secretly hates me.” Or a fortune teller, “I just know something terrible is going to happen.”

-Catastrophizing - Expecting the worst-case scenario to happen. “The pilot said we’re in for some turbulence. The plane’s going to crash!”

-Emotional reasoning
- Believing that the way you feel reflects reality. “I feel frightened right now. That must mean I’m in real physical danger.”
‘Shoulds’ and ‘should-nots’- Holding yourself to a strict list of what you should and shouldn’t do and beating yourself up if you break any of the rules

-Labeling
- Labeling yourself based on mistakes and perceived shortcomings. “I’m a failure; an idiot; a loser.”

-Personalization - Assuming responsibility for things that are outside your control. “It’s my fault my son got in an accident. I should have warned him to drive carefully in the rain.”

Frame
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Postby Frame » Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:33 pm

Devalueing - Choosing not to act because you, or it, or they don't matter.

Temporalizing - Telling yourself it will get done some day but there is plenty of time.

Recharging - Telling myself I'll do it as soon as I feel better. But for now I'll just lie here.

Rationalizing - Eventually the problems will go away by themselves.

Playing Dumb - I don't know what to do, so I won't do anything; I won't seek help; I won't look for solutions; I won't work the problem.

I am currently utilizing all these distortions and can vouch that they really work; that is they really do increase anxiety.


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