Term
Distorted Thoughts
You think "I've blown my diet completely!" after eating a spoonful of ice cream. |
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Definition
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Black-or-White. If a situation falls short of perfect, you see it as a total failure. |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
You find bird poop on your newly washed car. You think "Just my luck! Birds are ALWAYS crapping on my car!" |
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Definition
Overgeneralization
You see a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat by using words such as "always" or "never" when you think about it. |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
You receive many positive comments about your presentation at work but one of them says something mildly critical. You obsess about his reaction for days and ignore all of the positive feedback. |
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Definition
Mental Filter
You pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively so that your vision of all reality becomes darkened. |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
You do a good job but you tell yourself that is wasn't good enough or anyone could have done as well as you did. |
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Definition
Discounting the Positive
You reject positive experiences by insisting that they "don't count." |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
Jane has got to be talking bad about me. |
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Definition
Mind Reading
Without checking it out, you conclude that someone is reacting negatively to you. |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
I'm really going to blow this test! What happens if I flunk? |
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Definition
Fortune-Telling
You predict that things will turn out badly. |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
"I can't begin driving because I will get in an accident! I just know it!" |
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Definition
Catastrophizing
Giving greater weight to the worst possible outcome. |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
"I feel hopeless so I must be hopeless." |
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Definition
Emotional Reasoning
You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect on the way that things really are. |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
"I shouldn't have made so many mistakes at the piano recital." |
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Definition
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
"I'm a loser" "I'm a failure" |
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Definition
Labeling
An extreme form of all-or-nothing thinking. Instead of saying "I made a mistake," they say "I'm an idiot." |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
"If only I was better in bed, he wouldn't beat me" |
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Definition
Personalization
When you hold yourself personally responsible for an event that isn't entirely under your control. |
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Term
Distorted Thoughts
"The reason my marriage is lousy is because my spouse in totally unreasonable" |
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Definition
Blame
Blame others for their problems and overlook how they could potentially be part of the problem. |
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