Cognitive distortions are systematic patterns of inaccurate thinking that contribute to negative emotions and unhelpful behavior. The concept was developed by Aaron Beck in his work on depression and extended through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Common cognitive distortions include: all-or-nothing thinking (seeing situations in black and white without middle ground), catastrophizing (assuming the worst possible outcome), mind reading (assuming you know what others think), fortune telling (predicting negative outcomes as certainties), and personalization (taking excessive responsibility for external events).
Cognitive distortions maintain anxiety and depression by providing what feels like evidence for negative beliefs. The distortion selects and interprets information in ways that confirm the underlying belief, making it resistant to change through ordinary experience.
Identifying cognitive distortions is a core component of CBT. The process involves recognizing the thought, identifying the distortion type, evaluating the evidence for and against the thought, and constructing a more balanced alternative.
Working with cognitive distortions does not require suppressing negative thoughts. It requires examining them with more precision than they typically receive, noticing when thoughts are being presented as facts and asking what the evidence actually supports.