Learn About Cognitive Distortion

Learn About Cognitive Distortion PTSD Symptoms Print Cognitive Distortion and How Negative Thoughts Affect PTSD How Negative Thoughts Affect People With PTSD By Matthew Tull, PhD twitter Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn about our editorial policy Matthew Tull, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on February 13, 2020 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes & Risk Factors Treatment Living With In Children Arief Juwono / Getty Images You can better understand the definition of cognitive distortion by first acknowledging that we all have negative thoughts from time to time. This is especially the case for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, negative thoughts are so common in certain mental health disorders that mental health professionals use the term cognitive distortions  to describe them. Also known as maladaptive thoughts, errors in thinking or irrational thoughts, cognitive distortions refer to unpleasant thoughts that are extreme, exaggerated or not consistent with what is actually going on in the real world. As a result, cognitive distortions can have a negative influence on our mood and eventually lead to unhealthy behaviors. The connection between thoughts and actions is part of the reason cognitive distortions are considered a central part of cognitive-behavioral therapy. For example, lets say you commonly have the thought, I will always be depressed. Whenever this thought pops into your head, you will likely start feeling sad, down, hopeless and helpless. Because of this, you may start to isolate yourself or avoid activities that you used to enjoy. This is then only going to increase the chance that your depression worsens and sticks around. This thought is a cognitive distortion. It is highly unlikely that you will always feel depressed. There may still be times when you feel a little better. In addition, looking at your past, chances are you havent always been depressed. So, while it may feel like you will always be depressed, in reality, your depression may come and go. Common Cognitive Distortions Below are some common cognitive distortions that may contribute to a negative mood. All-or-None Thinking This involves looking at a situation as either black or white or thinking that there are only two possible outcomes to a situation. An example of such thinking is, If I am not a complete success at my job; then I am a total failure. Catastrophizing This entails expecting the worse to happen without considering alternative outcomes that are more likely to happen. An example of this form of thinking is, I know that I will be so anxious that I will bomb this test and fail the course. Labeling This includes defining yourself or others in a rigid way that doesnt allow for more favorable evaluations. People who label might tell themselves, I am a total loser. Discounting the Positive This involves looking past and ignoring positive experiences or viewing positive experiences or outcomes as simply being due to chance. Someone who engages in this thinking might say, I got that job out of luck, not because I was qualified. Mind Reading People who mind read think they know what others are thinking. For example, they might say, I just know that my therapist thinks I am a waste of his time. Personalization This entails evaluating other peoples behavior as being the result of something you did. Someone who personalizes may think, She wasnt very polite toward me because I must have done something to upset her. Emotional Reasoning People who use emotional reasoning believe something is true because it feels that way. They may say, I must have failed that test because I feel so bad about my performance.