Cognitive Distortions: The Lies Depression Tells
Depression is a common mental health disorder that affects millions of people all over the world. It is characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed. People with depression may also experience changes in appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
One of the ways that depression manifests itself is through cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are negative thoughts that are not based on reality, but rather on our perception of reality. They are the lies that depression tells us about ourselves, the world around us, and our place in it.
Understanding what cognitive distortions are and how they contribute to depression can help you recognize them in your own thinking and take steps to address them. In this article, we will explore some of the most common cognitive distortions associated with depression.
All-or-Nothing Thinking
All-or-nothing thinking, also known as black-and-white thinking, is a cognitive distortion that involves seeing everything as either completely good or completely bad, with no room for anything in between. For example, someone with depression might think, “I’m a complete failure. If I can’t do something perfectly, then why bother doing it at all?”
This type of thinking is unrealistic and sets us up for failure. We can’t expect to be perfect at everything we do, and we need to allow ourselves to make mistakes and learn from them. All-or-nothing thinking can prevent us from trying new things or taking risks because we fear failure.
Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization is a cognitive distortion that involves applying a single negative event or experience to everything in our lives. For example, someone with depression might think, “I’m never going to find love. No one will ever want to be with me.”
This type of thinking is unhelpful because it takes one negative experience and applies it to everything. It can make us feel hopeless and despairing about the future. Overgeneralization can also make us focus on the negative and overlook the positive things in our lives.
Mental Filtering
Mental filtering is a cognitive distortion that involves focusing on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positive ones. For example, someone with depression might think, “I got a promotion at work, but it was probably just because they felt sorry for me. I’m still a failure.”
This type of thinking can make us feel like nothing good ever happens to us. We can become convinced that we are failures, even when we’ve achieved something that should make us feel proud. Mental filtering can prevent us from seeing the good things in our lives and can contribute to feelings of hopelessness and despair.
Catastrophizing
Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion that involves imagining the worst-case scenario in any given situation. For example, someone with depression might think, “If I don’t get this project done on time, I’ll lose my job, and then I’ll be homeless.”
This type of thinking is anxiety-provoking and can make us feel overwhelmed and helpless. Catastrophizing can also prevent us from taking action to address the situation because we feel like it’s too big and too hopeless to fix.
Personalization
Personalization is a cognitive distortion that involves taking responsibility for things that are beyond our control. For example, someone with depression might think, “My partner is in a bad mood because of something I did. It’s all my fault.”
This type of thinking can make us feel guilty and responsible for things that are not our fault. We can become overly self-critical and blame ourselves for things that are outside of our control. Personalization can also prevent us from taking action to address the situation because we feel like we are the problem.
Emotional Reasoning
Emotional reasoning is a cognitive distortion that involves using our emotions as evidence for our beliefs. For example, someone with depression might think, “I feel like a failure, so I must be one.”
This type of thinking is illogical because our emotions are not always based on reality. We can feel like failures even when we’ve achieved success, or we can feel happy even when things aren’t going well. Emotional reasoning can prevent us from challenging our negative thoughts and beliefs and can contribute to feelings of hopelessness and despair.
Conclusion
Cognitive distortions are the lies that depression tells us about ourselves and the world around us. They are negative thoughts that are based on our perception of reality rather than reality itself. Understanding how cognitive distortions contribute to depression can help us recognize them in our own thinking and take steps to address them.
It’s important to remember that cognitive distortions are not based on reality and that there is a way out of depression. You don’t have to believe the lies that depression tells you. With the help of a mental health professional, you can learn to challenge your negative thoughts and beliefs and replace them with more positive ones. Don’t suffer in silence – reach out for help today.
FAQs
1. What are cognitive distortions?
Cognitive distortions refer to patterns of thinking that result in negative interpretations of situations and events. They are often irrational and can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety.
2. How do cognitive distortions contribute to depression?
Cognitive distortions create a negative feedback loop where negative thoughts and beliefs reinforce negative feelings, which in turn reinforce negative thoughts and beliefs. This can contribute to the development and maintenance of depression.
3. What are some common cognitive distortions?
Some common cognitive distortions include black-and-white thinking, jumping to conclusions, catastrophizing, personalization, and overgeneralization. Being aware of these patterns of thinking is important in order to challenge and correct them.
References
1. Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press.
2. Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York: William Morrow.
3. Alloy, L. B., Abramson, L. Y., & Vorspan, R. (2019). Cognitive distortions in depression and anxiety. In Oxford research encyclopedia of psychology. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.165