cognitive distortions

Cognitive distortions are habitual, inaccurate thinking patterns that shape how a person interprets themselves, others, and events. In therapy, especially Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), they are understood as mental shortcuts that reinforce anxiety, depression, shame, and relational conflict.

Common examples include all‑or‑nothing thinking, catastrophizing, mind reading, personalization, emotional reasoning, "should" statements, and filtering out positives. They often take root in childhood environments marked by criticism, unpredictability, or emotional neglect, where distorted conclusions once served as survival logic. Clinically, treatment focuses on naming distortions, gathering evidence, practicing balanced alternatives, and pairing cognitive work with self‑compassion so new patterns can actually take hold.