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CBT and Cognitive Distortions

Written By: Mary Angeline Flordeliza

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), one’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, and physiological responses are treated as distinct constructs from each other and have the ability to influence the other (American Psychological Association Division 12, 2017). Since our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected –this can easily create negative feedback loops if our thoughts are distorted (Chand et. al, 2023).

For example: having an automatic thought that says “I feel like a failure, so I am a failure”.

  1. Here, defining oneself as a failure is not an emotion, but an automatic thought.
  2. While the guilt and shame in response to an event, is the emotion.
  3. However, once you interpret the emotion and event as something negative that defines your character, becomes a belief about yourself.

Reevaluating Thoughts and Feelings

These negative automatic thoughts when repeated can become a core belief about oneself. So, instead of immediately identifying oneself as a failure, it can help to name the emotion such as “ I am feeling really guilty and shameful right now”.

This allows you to not attack your own character, and focus on getting curious about where those thoughts come from. This technique is called –Reattribution, where we are taught to reevaluate our interpretations and how we assign blame (Burns, 2012).

But, Reattribution is not the only way to combat these emotions; there are different examples from Psychiatrist David Burns that list down cognitive distortions and how to combat them. For example, these include the following:

  1. Should statements –“I should be happy because I’m not suffering as much as others”,
  2. All or Nothing thinking –“I’m/They’re always breaking things”
  3. Mind Reading – “They probably think I’m weak and incompetent”
  4. Emotional Reasoning – “I feel like a failure, so I am a failure”.

Instead of challenging these intrusive thoughts, your brain may exaggerate the negative, minimize the positive, or cherry pick what aligns with your current views –which could feed into one’s distress even more– eventually distorting your perceptions about people, situations, and or reality.

If you’d like to know more about cognitive distortions and how to combat them, the books “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy” or “Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety” by Psychiatrist David Burns, discusses these in more depth. 

Do I need to constantly analyze my emotions?

While this portion is informed by another type of therapy called Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT), For this question, it can be more beneficial to sit with one’s feelings rather than fight them.

Sometimes, not all emotions, reactions, or automatic thoughts need to be constantly analyzed, argued with, or changed. It can help to take a pause to observe them without judgement of what it is, what it means about you, or anything else.

You could put some distance between yourself and the thought like telling yourself:

  • “I notice I’m thinking that I am “__________” right now”
  • “I notice I’m feeling that I am “__________” right now”

Sometimes you may also just need to make space for yourself to express your emotions so you’re able to notice them and bring clarity to how you’re feeling or doing. This could be through journaling, art, recording your thoughts aloud, talking to a friend, talking to a therapist –intentionally letting yourself be messy in a safe environment that can allow you to do so.

It may not always solve what is bothering you or immediately fix problems in your life, but it can bring clarity to what you want and don’t want, what you need, or anything that you may not have considered before. In doing so, it can help you figure out what truly matters to you and set actions that align with your values and boundaries.

So, What Can I Do?

Ideally and generally, it is still recommended for individuals to go to mental health providers. They can help people to identify and challenge cognitive distortions that may stem from distressing situations, trauma, or abuse. This will also help to mitigate or aid any psychological distress that may occur while thinking about potentially triggering topics, as well as reconnect with themselves or regulate when they feel unbalanced.

If you need help in finding mental health providers, our team and a plethora of organizations provides a list of community resources that you can find in the link below!

Do you need help in finding affordable mental healthcare?

Check out our community resources to see which ones may suit you and your needs!
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Note: These resources are based in the Philippines, check for mental healthcare providers in your region as it may be more fit towards your needs.

REFERENCES AND READINGS

American Psychological Association Division 12. (2017). What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral

Burns, D. D., (2012). Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. United States: HarperCollins.

Chand, S. P., Kuckel, D. P., & Huecker, M. R. (2023, May 23). Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470241/

Damasio, A. (1999). The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness. Philpapers.org. https://philpapers.org/rec/DAMTFO

Damasio, Antonio. (2004). Emotions and Feelings: A Neurobiological Perspective. 10.1017/CBO9780511806582.004.

National Health Service. (2022). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/

Schachter, S., & Singer, J. (1962). Cognitive, social, and physiological determinants of emotional state. Psychological Review, 69(5), 379–399. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0046234