Judgement Free Therapy Thoughts
CBT- Cognitive Distortions.
What is a cognitive distortion? Have you ever had an irrational fear or thought that influenced how you see the world? It was probably a cognitive distortion. Most of us experience irrational thoughts from time to time, but extreme cognitive distortions can be harmful.
In the next post I am going to be writing about, and reflecting on cognitive distortions and their impact on our mental health. We will be exploring some of the most common ones and how they influence our thinking in daily life.
When someone is able to correctly identify and reflect on a cognitive distortion, they can avoid and minimize these irrational thought patterns. This will result in higher self esteem, lower anxiety levels and a balance outlook on life.
@naturalFlamingo1448
Can't wait🖤🦋🖤... always tag Blue if you can please
CBT- Identifying Magnification and Minimization
Cognitive distortions are irrational thoughts that shape how you see the world, how you feel, and how you act. It’s normal to have these thoughts occasionally, but they can be harmful when frequent or extreme.
Magnification and minimization are thinking patterns that individuals may experience that may lead to exaggeration or playing down (minimizing) certain events. For example, and individual may believe that their own achievements are unimportant or that their mistakes are excessively important.
Magnification (Catastrophizing) could lead an individual to see only the worst possible outcomes of a situation or to blow them out of proportion.Â
Imagine someone receives a mildly critical comment at work and starts thinking, "I'm a complete failure. I'll never succeed in anything. My career is over." In this case, the individual is magnifying the impact of a single comment to catastrophic proportions.
The opposite of magnification is minimization. This usually occurs when an individual is downplaying or failing to see the positive aspects of a situation, event or their own qualities. These people tend to focus exclusively on the negative aspects and ignore any positive elements.
Consider someone who receives several compliments on a presentation but dismisses them by saying, "They were just being polite. I probably could have done better, and they're just being nice to spare my feelings." In this case, the positive feedback is minimized or disqualified.
Magnification and minimization often contributes to distorted thinking patterns leading to negative emotions and potentially influencing behavior. Individuals can recognize and challenge the distortions through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This can promotes realistic thinking and a balanced perspective on life.
Â
