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By having more faith in your abilities, you'll feel more empowered and less likely to experience learned helplessness, a phenomenon where people feel that they have no control over the outcome.

Fazakas-DeHoog LL, Rnic K, Dozois DJA. A cognitive distortions and deficits model of suicide ideation. Eur J Psychol. 2017;13(2):178-193. doi:10.5964/ejop.v13i2.1238

If cognitive distortions are contributing to feelings of anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems, consider talking to a therapist.  A therapist can utilize cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other strategies to help you change these distorted ways of thinking.

To overcome this cognitive distortion, take a moment to consider the facts before you make a decisions. Ask questions and challenge your initial assumptions.

For example, Joel completes a project and receives an award for his outstanding work. Rather than feeling proud of his achievement, he attributes it to pure luck that has nothing to do with his talent and effort.

Kaplan SC, Morrison AS, Goldin PR, Olino TM, Heimberg RG, Gross JJ. The Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire (CD-Quest): Validation in a sample of adults with social anxiety disorder. Cognit Ther Res. 2017;41(4):576-587. doi:10.1007/s10608-017-9838-9

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For instance, Jenna used emotional reasoning to conclude that she was a worthless person, which in turn led to binge eating.

A mental filter is the opposite of overgeneralization, but with the same negative outcome. Instead of taking one small event and generalizing it inappropriately, the mental filter takes one small event and focuses on it exclusively, filtering out anything else.

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All-or-nothing thinking is also known as black-and-white thinking or polarized thinking. This type of thinking involves viewing things in absolute terms: Situations are always black or white, everything or nothing, good or bad, success or failure.

Sudhir PM. Cognitive behavioural interventions in addictive disorders. Indian J Psychiatry. 2018;60(Suppl 4):S479–S484. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_15_18

Discounting the positive is a cognitive distortion that involves ignoring or invalidating good things that have happened to you. It is similar to mental filtering, but instead of simply ignoring the positives, you are actively rejecting them.

Who Invented the Lens Used at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse?Augustine Jean Fresnel (pronounced fray-nell) Fresnel (born May 10, 1788, died July 14, 1827), a French physicist, was commissioned by France in 1822 to develop a better lighting system for the French lighthouses. Rather than try to develop a brighter light source, Fresnel set about designing a better, more efficient method of using the light which 1820's technology could produce. 19th Century lighthouses used silvered-metal parabolic reflectors, placed behind a lamp, to direct the light seaward. This system was not very efficient, and worked poorly as an aid to navigation. Remember that light produced by a lamp, or any source, radiates out in all directions. Fresnel's task was to find the most efficient method to direct all, or nearly all, of the lamp's light rays out to sea. To improve upon the parabolic reflector, Fresnel looked to glass lenses for a method of directing more of the light from a lamp seaward. Molding a single lens to do the job was impractical. A lens suitable for a lighthouse would be far too large to be cast as a single lens. Instead Fresnel designed a system of smaller lens and prisms, arranged in a stair-step configuration. He used this system to bend, fold, and focus the light out to sea. The result was a lens that was able to use about 80 percent of the light available from the lamp! In the case of the lens used at Pigeon Point, about 70,000 candlepower was produced by the original lamp. This type of lens, called a Fresnel  lens, was a technological breakthrough! The new lens was far more efficient in its use of the small amount of light produced by a ?page_id=22000">lard oil lamp. In addition, a Fresnel lens could be disassembled and shipped in sections and configured into virtually limitless numbers of light characteristics, that is, patterns of flashes of light divided by periods of darkness.

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For example, Nathan focuses on all of the negative or hurtful things that his partner has said or done in their relationship, but he filters all the kind and thoughtful things his partner does. This thinking contributes to feelings of negativity about his partner and their relationship.

While research has found that this distortion is common in people who have anxiety and depression, it is actually a very common way of thinking that many people engage in. Cognitive behavior therapy can help people recognize the signs of emotional reasoning and realize that feelings are not facts.

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, shares how you can learn to be less judgmental. Click below to listen now.

For example, you might label yourself as a failure. You can also label other people as well. You might decide that someone is a jerk because of one interaction and continue to judge them in all future interactions through that lens with no room for redemption.

Who Invented the Lens Used at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse?Augustine Jean Fresnel (pronounced fray-nell) Fresnel (born May 10, 1788, died July 14, 1827), a French physicist, was commissioned by France in 1822 to develop a better lighting system for the French lighthouses. Rather than try to develop a brighter light source, Fresnel set about designing a better, more efficient method of using the light which 1820's technology could produce. 19th Century lighthouses used silvered-metal parabolic reflectors, placed behind a lamp, to direct the light seaward. This system was not very efficient, and worked poorly as an aid to navigation. Remember that light produced by a lamp, or any source, radiates out in all directions. Fresnel's task was to find the most efficient method to direct all, or nearly all, of the lamp's light rays out to sea. To improve upon the parabolic reflector, Fresnel looked to glass lenses for a method of directing more of the light from a lamp seaward. Molding a single lens to do the job was impractical. A lens suitable for a lighthouse would be far too large to be cast as a single lens. Instead Fresnel designed a system of smaller lens and prisms, arranged in a stair-step configuration. He used this system to bend, fold, and focus the light out to sea. The result was a lens that was able to use about 80 percent of the light available from the lamp! In the case of the lens used at Pigeon Point, about 70,000 candlepower was produced by the original lamp. This type of lens, called a Fresnel  lens, was a technological breakthrough! The new lens was far more efficient in its use of the small amount of light produced by a ?page_id=22000">lard oil lamp. In addition, a Fresnel lens could be disassembled and shipped in sections and configured into virtually limitless numbers of light characteristics, that is, patterns of flashes of light divided by periods of darkness.

One way to combat overgeneralization is to focus on using realistic language. Instead of saying, "I always do that!," say something such as, "That happens sometimes, but I'll try to do better next time."

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An example: Cheryl thinks she should be able to play a song on her violin without making any mistakes. When she does make mistakes, she feels angry and upset with herself. As a result, she starts to avoid practicing her violin.

CBT is an approach that helps people recognize these cognitive distortions and replace them with more helpful, realistic thoughts. Techniques that your therapist may utilize include cognitive reframing and cognitive restructuring.

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Cognitive distortions are the mind’s way of playing tricks on us and convincing us of something that just isn’t true. While many cognitive distortions are common, there are some that can indicate a more serious condition and take a toll on mental health, leading to an increase in symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression.

Labeling is a cognitive distortion that involves making a judgment about yourself or someone else as a person, rather than seeing the behavior as something the person did that doesn't define them as an individual.

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"Should" statements involve always thinking about things that you think you "should" or "must" do. These types of statements can make you feel worried or anxious. They can also cause you to experience guilt or a sense of failure. Because you always think you "should" be doing something, you end up feeling as if you are constantly failing.

If you think that cognitive distortions may be altering your sense of reality and are concerned about how these thoughts may be negatively affecting your life, talk to your healthcare provider or therapist. Treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy are helpful and can help you learn to think in ways that are more accurate and helpful.

We've tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Ruscio AM, Gentes EL, Jones JD, Hallion LS, Coleman ES, Swendsen J. Rumination predicts heightened responding to stressful life events in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. J Abnorm Psychol. 2015;124(1):17-26. doi:10.1037/abn0000025

Once you recognize that you are experiencing cognitive distortions, there are steps you can take to change these ways of thinking. Getting help is important, because these distorted thought patterns can seriously affect mental health and well-being. To change cognitive distortions:

Cognitive distortions are negative or irrational patterns of thinking. These negative thought patterns can play a role in diminishing your motivation, lowering your self-esteem, and contributing to problems like anxiety, depression, and substance use.

An example of all-or-nothing thinking is dwelling on mistakes and assuming you will never be able to do well, instead of acknowledging the error and trying to move past it.

You can combat labeling by challenging the accuracy of your assumptions. Look for evidence that counters your negative thoughts. Remind yourself of the difference between opinions and facts.

One way to overcome this cognitive distortion is to reframe how you attribute events. Instead of seeing positive outcomes as flukes, focus on noticing how your own strengths, skills, and efforts contributed to the outcome.

Overgeneralization happens when you make a rule after a single event or a series of coincidences. The words "always" or "never" frequently appear in the sentence. Because you have experience with one event playing out a certain way, you assume that all future events will have the same outcome.

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One way to overtime this cognitive distortion is to recognize that success and progress are not all-or-nothing concepts. By addressing this type of thinking and replacing self-defeating thoughts, you can feel better about your progress and recognize your strengths.

Journaling is one strategy that might help overcome mental filtering. Make an effort to intentionally shift your focus from the negative and look for more neutral or positive aspects of a situation.

Rnic K, Dozois DJ, Martin RA. Cognitive distortions, humor styles, and depression. Eur J Psychol. 2016;12(3):348-362. doi:10.5964/ejop.v12i3.1118

Magnification is exaggerating the importance of shortcomings and problems while minimizing the importance of desirable qualities. Similar to mental filtering and discounting the positive, this cognitive distortion involves magnifying your negative qualities while minimizing your positive ones.

McHugh RK, Hearon BA, Otto MW. Cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010;33(3):511–525. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.012

As you recognize that distorted thoughts cause problems, it is essential to work to change them actively. It may be uncomfortable, particularly at first, but work on challenging yourself. Is there evidence that contradicts your thoughts? Are there more helpful ways of thinking about a situation?

This article discusses different cognitive distortions and how they work. It also discusses hypothetical examples to show how this kind of thinking affects behavior and what you can do to help overcome these distortions.

When you recognize yourself engaging in this cognitive distortion, focus on practicing self-compassion. Replace these statements with more realistic ones, and work on accepting yourself for who you are rather than who you think you should be.

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Emotional reasoning is a way of judging yourself or your circumstances based on your emotions. This type of reasoning assumes that because you are experiencing a negative emotion, it must accurately reflect reality. If you feel experience feelings of guilt, for example, emotional reasoning would lead you to conclude that you are a bad person.

For example, imagine that you made a suggestion about a work project that wasn't adopted in the final work. You might overgeneralize this and assume that no one at work ever listens to you or takes you seriously.

The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center. Thinking About Thinking: Patterns of Cognitive Distortions. The Resilience Alliance.

Dunsmoor JE, Paz R. Fear generalization and anxiety: Behavioral and neural mechanisms. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Sep 1;78(5):336-43. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.04.010

When you find yourself engaging in this cognitive distortion, make a conscious effort to consider other factors that might have played a role in the situation. Instead of blaming yourself for something that happened, consider external factors or other people's actions that might have also been contributing factors.

Cognitive distortions can contribute to poor decisions making, but they can also play a significant role in the onset and maintenance of mental illness and other issues. Such distortions are associated with the following:

By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada.

For example, Anna blamed herself for her daughter's bad grade in school. Instead of trying to find out why her daughter is struggling and exploring ways to help, Anna assumes it is a sign that she is a bad mother.

Try to notice the thoughts that contribute to feelings of anxiety, negativity, or depression. Practices such as journaling and mindfulness may help you build better awareness of your own thoughts.

Arntz A, ten Haaf J. Social cognition in borderline personality disorder: Evidence for dichotomous thinking but no evidence for less complex attributions. Behav Res Ther. 2012 Nov;50(11):707-18. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2012.07.002

For example, when something bad happens, you see this as "proof" of your own failures. But when good things happen, you minimize their importance. For example, a person addicted to pain medication might magnify the importance of eliminating all pain and exaggerate how unbearable their pain is.

Özdel K, Taymur I, Guriz SO, Tulaci RG, Kuru E, Turkcapar MH. Measuring cognitive errors using the Cognitive Distortions Scale (CDS): Psychometric properties in clinical and non-clinical samples. PLoS One. 2014;9(8):e105956. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105956

Booth RW, Sharma D, Dawood F, et al. A relationship between weak attentional control and cognitive distortions, explained by negative affect. PLoS One. 2019;14(4):e0215399. Published 2019 Apr 18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215399

Personalization and blame is a cognitive distortion whereby you entirely blame yourself, or someone else, for a situation that, in reality, involved many factors that were out of your control.

For example, Jamie believes that he cannot stand life without heroin. Such beliefs hold him back from getting the treatment and help that he needs to successfully recover from substance use.

To overcome magnification, focus on learning how to identify these thoughts and intentionally replacing them with more helpful, realistic ways of thinking.