Here are 8 common cognitive distortions. The first cognitive distortion is filtering. Filtering is when you focus on the negative to the exclusion of the positive. Black and White Thinking Here is where you think things are all good or all bad. And you can’t see the middle grey area. This is very inflexible thinking. Overgeneralization With this thinking you exaggerate or take things to the extreme. Mind reading With mind reading, you make assumptions about what’s going to happen or you make assumptions about what something thinks. Emotional Reasoning This is when you believe your emotions are based in the truth. But emotions are not fact. They are your response to the facts. Should statements With this you overfocus on how things should be. You use words like should, ought to and must. This creates unrealistic expectations and ultimately leads to disappointment, resentment and failure. Catastrophizing Catastrophizing involves expecting the worst case scenario for any given situation. This is a common distortion used with people who have health anxiety or panic attacks. Personalization. With this you think everything is about you. Do you recognize any of these in yourself? I’ll have a follow up video on how to challenge these thoughts. For now mull these over and think about which ones apply to you so you’ll be ready to address them in the next video. Want to know more about mental health and self-improvement? On this channel I discuss topics such as bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), relationships and personal development/self-improvement.