How to Change Cognitive Distortions? Discover the Most Common

What can we do to address cognitive distortions? What is the key to changing them? Discover some examples of how you can change these negative thoughts.

The cognitive distortions They are erroneous ways that we process and interpret information. We normally use these distortions in our daily lives and they may generate negative consequences. It is important to note that almost all people at some point have had some distortion to a greater or lesser extent.

What are the most common cognitive distortions?

Cognitive distortions are like “viruses” through which we understand reality or make decisions. Some most common distortions that can affect us on a day-to-day basis are the following:

1. Filtering: The negative details of things or situations are highlighted and magnified, while the positive ones are not taken into account.
2. Polarized thinking: think or understand that things are black or white, good or bad. In this distortion the person is either perfect or a failure, the middle ground is not valued.
3. Overgeneralization: General conclusions are drawn from a simple incident. If something bad happens, on one occasion you will expect it to happen again and again.
4. Catastrophic vision: Fear that something will happen that we never want to happen. This generates a lot of anxiety.
5. Culpability: The person maintains that others are responsible for their suffering, or the opposite, they blame themselves for all other people’s problems. It is directing blame towards myself or others.
6. Ought: The person has a list of rigid rules about how he or she and others should act. People who violate these rules become angry and also feel guilty. This generates a lot of anger.

How to change cognitive distortions?

For manage cognitive distortions The first thing is to know how to identify them. It’s good to pay attention to our internal dialogue and how we relate to others. Once we know how to identify that we are having these distortions, we must modify our thinking, opt for something more realistic. For example, if we identify that we are filtering (focusing on the negative), we have to stop and tell ourselves, “hey, look for the positives too.” Some examples that can help you deal with cognitive distortions are the following:

• Polarized thinking: “Look for nuances, nothing is absolute.”
• Overgeneralization: “Look for the probabilities! Just because it happens once doesn’t mean it will happen every time.”
• Thought Interpretation: “If you can’t ask, don’t guess.”
• Catastrophic vision: “And if it doesn’t happen… why do I suffer?”
• Guilt: “It changes guilt into responsibility. Guilt is used only when ethical norms are violated.”
• Should: “Change it to would prefer.”
• Personalization: “No photocopies, thank you. Don’t compare yourself.”
• Control fallacy: “What real chance of control do we have?”
• Fallacy of justice: “I prefer…”. Ask yourself, according to what code is it fair?
• Reasoning: “Be careful, feelings can lie.”
• Fallacy of change: “Everyone is responsible for what they do.”
• Global labels: do not label someone for one thing they have done, people are more than the acts of x moment.
• Being right: “Every person has their point of view.” Ask yourself, what is the reason?
• Divided reward fallacy: “Do things for yourself, don’t expect anything in return.”

It is important change these distortions with self-instructions daily, when we have them. Little by little we will be able to assimilate them and modify them. Even so, if you feel that cognitive distortions may be affecting you, it is important to go to a professional psychologist to learn how to manage them. Don’t let these thoughts end up causing damage to your mental well-being.