Cognitive Distortions: How Unhelpful Thinking Patterns Affect Your Life
Our thoughts shape how we feel, how we act, and how we see the world. Sometimes those thoughts are accurate and helpful. Other times, they can become distorted in ways that cause unnecessary stress, anxiety, and conflict. These unhelpful patterns are called cognitive distortions, and learning to recognize them is an important step toward better mental health.
What Are Cognitive Distortions?
Cognitive distortions are habitual ways of thinking that are biased, exaggerated, or unhelpful. They often happen automatically, without us realizing it, and can influence how we interpret events, our relationships, and even our self-worth.
Everyone experiences them at times, but when these patterns dominate our thinking, they can contribute to depression, anxiety, and relationship challenges.
10 Common Types of Cognitive Distortions (With Real-Life Examples)
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Viewing situations in extremes, without middle ground.
Example: “If I do not get an A on this project, I am a total failure.”Catastrophizing
Expecting the worst-case scenario, even when the likelihood is low.
Example: “If I forget one line during my presentation, I will lose my job.”Overgeneralization
Drawing broad conclusions based on a single event.
Example: “My relationship ended, so I will never find love again.”Mind Reading
Believing you know what others are thinking without evidence.
Example: “She didn’t text back yet, so she must be upset with me.”Should Statements
Using rigid rules for yourself or others, often leading to guilt or frustration.
Example: “I should always be able to handle stress without feeling overwhelmed.”Discounting the Positive
Dismissing your accomplishments or good qualities by focusing only on flaws or mistakes.
Example: “I got praise from my boss, but it doesn’t count because I made a small error.”Emotional Reasoning
Believing that your feelings are proof that something is true.
Example: “I feel anxious, so something bad must be about to happen.”Personalization
Taking responsibility for things outside your control.
Example: “The dinner party was quiet, so it must have been because of me.”Labeling
Assigning a fixed, negative label to yourself or others instead of describing the behavior.
Example: “I forgot to pay that bill. I am such an idiot.”Filtering
Focusing exclusively on one part of a situation — whether positive or negative — and ignoring the rest of the picture. While it often means fixating on the negative, it can also mean overlooking important challenges by focusing only on positives.
Example: “I had a productive workweek and enjoyed time with friends, but because I had one tense conversation, I feel like the whole week was bad.”
How Cognitive Distortions Affect Daily Life
When these thinking patterns go unchecked, they can shape how you respond to challenges, how confident you feel, and how you relate to others. Over time, they can create a cycle of negative emotions and behaviors that reinforce the distorted thinking.
How Therapy Helps
At TriPeak Behavioral Health, we use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you identify, challenge, and reframe these patterns.
In session, you might:
Learn to recognize distorted thoughts in real time
Examine the evidence for and against those thoughts
Explore more balanced and realistic perspectives
Practice responding to situations in healthier ways
Over time, this process can help you feel more grounded, reduce emotional distress, and approach life with greater flexibility and confidence.
Therapy for Cognitive Distortions in Albuquerque
We specialize in helping people in Albuquerque and throughout New Mexico understand and change unhelpful thinking patterns. Whether cognitive distortions are contributing to anxiety, depression, or relationship stress, therapy can provide the tools you need to shift your perspective and improve your quality of life.
You do not have to stay stuck in unhelpful thought cycles. Complete our online form to send us a message, or call us to schedule an appointment today.