We've talked a LOT about cognitive distortions over the course of my schooling. And nobody is immune. Including me. I know I have cognitive distortions, but I don't think I really realized until recently how much they have affected me.
I've come to realize that I pretty much use all of them at various times and in various situations. (For a list of some common ones and their definitions, go here. You can also research a lot more about them by typing in cognitive distortions.) But some of the ones I use most frequently are filtering, personalization, shoulds, control fallacies, and emotional reasoning.
Today in group class though, it was pointed out that I was using black and white thinking. Which isn't one that I generally feel like I use. But I realize that I do. The way I was using it today was in regards to feeling afraid of always doing something this one way, so I actually end up trying to never doing it. I'm either black or white in regards to it. But there is a gray area. I just don't know where it is or how to find it.
Going along with the same situation I was using black and white thinking in, I was using a ton of emotional reasoning. This is a huge one for me. "I am a failure, therefore I am a failure." "I feel needy, so I must be needy." "I feel inadequate, so I must not be good enough." But just because I feel something, doesn't mean it's true.
I definitely have some work to do in working through these cognitive distortions. What are yours?
I read the article you listed and I thought it to be very interesting and I'd love to talk to you about it later (I've learned so much just by living with you!) I could see myself using a few of them on occasion but the first one that stood out to me as one that I use is personalization. I have also found that I use always being right in some aspects (especially with parents at school).
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