Re-Thinking Our Thinking

Written by Ms. Em from The Eating Disorders Survivors Club

When we have difficulty getting thoughts out of our head, it remarkably has to do with our ability to focus and be present. Often, the thoughts which race through our minds, the ones which we can't get out of our heads are actually cognitive distortions.

I remember walking into an eating disorder program and looking over my shoulder to see a big sheet of paper with the heading; Common Cognitive Distortions. As I started reading through each error/distortion I nearly fell off of my chair.

Cue: Ten enviornmentally friendly light bulbs flashing over my head and some fireworks accompanied by Beethoven's Ode to Joy .

I looked at the counselor and asked, "Is this a joke? Are these really psychologically-based definitions?" (Yes, those were my words. I did get a degree in psychology/psychological jargon).

'S' replied, "Yes. It's fairly common for people with an eating disorder to unknowingly use cognitive distortions on a daily basis." (Ann, not sure if you were there that day! *smiling*)

Learning that these Cognitive Distortions were logical but not rational was liberating. How many things I misperceived due to distorted thinking?!?

I used to carry a copy of these distortions with me. When my mind was spiraling at 150 mph, they reminded me that:

1) NO, I am not crazy.
2) My feelings ARE valid.
3) I can't change my feelings, but I can change the way I process them.

In hopes they provide you the same comfort and insight they afforded me, I offer you...

The Top 10 Cognitive Disortions

1. ALL-OR-NOTHING THINKING
You see things in black-and-white categories. If your performance falls short of perfect, you see your self as a total failure.
(Note: I'm only using the "F" word b/c it's part of the definition. It's still banned).

2. OVERGENERALIZATION
You see a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

3. MENTAL FILTER
You pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively so that your vision of all reality becomes darkened, like the drop of ink that discolors the entire beaker of water.

4. DISQUALIFYING THE POSITIVE
You reject positive experiences by insisting they "don't count" for some reason or other. In this way you can maintain a negative belief that is contradicted by your everyday experiences.

5. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
You make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts that convincingly support your conclusion.

a) MIND READING
You arbitrarily conclude that someone is reacting negatively to you, and you don't bother to check this out

b) THE FORTUNETELLER ERROR
You can anticipate that things will turn out badly, and you feel convinced that your prediction is an already-established fact.

6. MAGNIFICATION (CATASTROPHIZING) OR MINIMIZATION
You exaggerate the importance of things (such as your goof-up or someone else's achievement), or you inappropriately shrink things until they appear tiny (your own desirable qualities or other fellow's imperfections). This is also called the binocular trick."

7. EMOTIONAL REASONING
You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are: "I feel it, therefore it must be true."

8. SHOULD STATEMENTS
You try to motivate yourself with should and shouldn't, as if you had to be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do anything. "Musts" and "oughts" are also offenders. The emotional consequences are guilt. When you direct should statements toward others, you feel anger, frustration, and resentment.
(Note: Thus, my banning of this and similar phrases).

9. LABELING AND MISLABELING
This is an extreme form of overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself. "I'm a loser." When someone else's behavior rubs you the wrong way, you attach a negative label to him" "He's a Goddamn louse." Mislabeling involves describing an event with language that is highly colored and emotionally loaded.

10. PERSONALIZATION
You see your self as the cause of some negative external event, which in fact you were not primarily responsible for.

Sometimes, we can find comfort in knowing that the thoughts which are reverberating through our mind are errors in thinking. Understanding this has always provided me a sense of calm. I hope it affords you the same sense of peace.

By: Ms. Em

Founder: The Eating Disorder Survivors Club

The Eating Disorder Survivors Club is a health & wellness support group and self-help resource for those struggling to break free of eating disorders and addictions so that they can live the best life possible; the life they deserve!