Name that distorted cognition (thought/perception)

[ms spock]

My other irrational distorted cognition (Thought/Perception) is that if I tell the truth I will be severely and catastrophically punished. A few bad experiences as a child [/sarcasm] has made me constitutionally dishonest and fawning.

 

[ms spock]

There is a lot of distorted cognitions in my head - or negative thinking. I am hoping to tease it all apart a bit more.

 

[The Albatross]

Huh... looking over the list today it was definitely "jumping to conclusions" ... but I jumped back into right thinking a lot too today. It was a bit of a challenge and not very easy.

 

[ms spock]

Magnification is the one for me today! I am feeling like if I feel my feelings I will go crazy and die. Now this could happen, but it is highly unlikely. Most likely to happen would be that I feel feelings.

 

[The Albatross]

Now that is a solid and very rational assessment. Bravo Spock!

 

[ms spock]

I know @The Albatross! :hug: Great stuff hey?;):smug::playful::woot::tup:

I can do cognitive distortion disputation, and I never thought I would get it!

 

[The Albatross]

A benefit of being ADD is while hanging out I was playing whack-a-mole with three today:

Should statements -- You try to motivate yourself with "should" and "should not," as if you have to be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do anything.

Labeling and mislabeling -- This is an extreme form of overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself.

Personalization -- You see yourself as the cause of some negative external event which, in fact, you were not primarily responsible for.

Think I've chopped them down to size... and removed the stumps, at least for today.

 

[ms spock]

My DISTORTED COGNITIONS

The 13 primary cognitive distortions (according to Vulcan Logic) are:

1. All or nothing thinking -- You see things in black and white categories. If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure.
2. Over-generalization -- 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 so exclusively that your vision of all reality becomes darkened, like the drop of ink that colors 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. (Involves mind-reading and fortune-telling.)
6. Magnification and minimization -- You exaggerate the importance of things, or you inappropriately shrink things until they appear tiny.
7. Emotional reasoning -- You assume that your emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are, as in "I feel it, therefore it must be true."
8. Should statements -- You try to motivate yourself with "should" and "should not," as if you have to be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do anything.
9. Labeling and mislabeling -- This is an extreme form of overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself.
10. Personalization -- You see yourself as the cause of some negative external event which, in fact, you were not primarily responsible for.

Add Ons:
No 11. Magical thinking is a distorted cognition as well. It is a big one for Developmental Trauma/Complex Trauma from childhood abuse. Well it is for me anyway.

12. Another form of magical thinking as an adult simply fills up so much time. It is an avoidance strategy. It is not living presently, but finding a way to numb feelings through fantasies of what life could be.

13. You have to make everyone happy, or you will die or be punished or tortured.
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I think I am starting to get better at this. I am starting to identify these distorted cognitions more. I was concerned that I would never get it, but I am getting there. Feeling okay at the moment despite dealing with a range of stressors that sent me down the tube in 2013 so progress.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I was all over the place this morning with self abuse and very negative and inner critic running amok.

I am doing better now as I am putting my situation into the proper perspective.

All or nothing thinking. Doing a lot of that today. Working on replacing the negative with more positive and realistics thinking so I am doing some magical thinking as well.

Triggered because I had made a commitment to myself today and I am very sick with the flu, how fun and I really had to work and continue to work very hard on this one.

Black and white all or nothing thinking is also impacting me today.

I guess I found the root cause. I kinda of broke a promise to myself and instead of being so stuck I took some good steps that is a compromise for me.

 

[The Albatross]

I think that much could be gained if we as a group took a harder look at the cognitive distortions... name it and claim it... own it, and form the plan/strategy.

 

[The Albatross]

I don't have any of these today... rare and Yay ME!!!

 

[The Albatross]

Magnification... spoke too soon. Damn it.