Cognitive Distortions — Know Your Thinking Traps

Ten common cognitive distortions

• All-or-nothing thinking — "I failed, so I am a complete failure"
• Catastrophizing — expecting the worst possible outcome
• Mind reading — assuming you know what others think of you
• Fortune telling — predicting negative outcomes as fact
• Emotional reasoning — "I feel it, so it must be true"
• Should statements — rigid rules that create guilt and frustration
• Labeling — defining yourself by a single mistake
• Personalization — blaming yourself for things outside your control
• Discounting the positive — dismissing good experiences as flukes
• Overgeneralization — one bad event becomes "always" or "never"

How to challenge distortions

When you notice a distortion, ask: What is the evidence for and against this thought? What would I tell a friend in this situation? What is a more balanced way to see this? TheraMind can guide you through these questions during a session.