Habits of Harmful Thinking Flashcards

1
Q

Believing negative things will happen more often than positive ones.

Ex. - Why bother going to therapy, it probably won’t help.

  • Why bother following up on a job application, they won’t hire me.
A

Pessimism

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2
Q

Exaggerating problems and the possible harm they can cause. Underestimating your ability to deal with problems. (mountain of a molehill)

Ex.

  • I will never be able to complete this task.
  • Because that person is blocking the crosswalk, I am going to get seriously injured.
A

Exaggerating

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3
Q

Taking one negative characteristic or event and seeing it as a never-ending pattern.

Ex.

  • One person doesn’t like me, no one must like me.
  • If I can’t get this job, everything’s lost & I might as well give up.
  • I can’t trust anyone ever again.
A

Overgeneralization

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4
Q

Can only be at one end of the scale - all good/bad, perfect/failure, best/worst, etc.

Ex. - I am not capable of loving.

I can’t express my feelings.

A

All-or-Nothing Thinking

(aka Black & White)

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5
Q

Telling yourself you should/ ought/ must do something. Makes you feel forced, controlled, & resentful.

Ex.

  • I should be the best.
  • I should have a degree by now.
  • I should have a lot of money by now.
  • I must move North by the end of July.
A

“Should”-ing Yourself

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5
Q

Thinking you can see the future and it is bad.

Ex.

  • I’ll never be happy.
  • I’ll never have enough money.
  • I’ll never move to San Francisco.
A

Negative Fortune Telling

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6
Q

Thinking you know what others are thinking, and that they are having negative thoughts about you.

Ex.

  • My housemate seems very upset today, I must have done something wrong.
  • I can’t tell others how I feel because they will think I am crazy.
  • Other people think I am boring.
A

Mind Reading

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7
Q

Attaching a negative label instead of seeing an error or problem. Labels can become self-fulfilling prophecies.

Ex.

  • I can’t believe I don’t know the answer, I must be stupid.
  • I miscounted change, I’m an idiot.
A

Labeling (yourself or others)

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8
Q
A
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10
Q

Thinking negative things happen, and they are always entirely your fault.

Ex.

  • Things would have gone well if I hadn’t been there.
  • If we lose it will be all my fault.
A

Blaming Oneself

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11
Q

Only remembering negative events. (Cup half empty)

Ex.

  • Nothing good happened to me this week.
  • I got the short end of the stick in life.
A

Negative Filter (Ignoring the Positive)

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12
Q

Thinking positive things are just luck or someone else’s doing, never from your own efforts.

Ex.

  • Yes I’m going to therapy, but it’s no big deal.
  • Yes I got housemates & an apartment last fall, but that was just luck.
A

Not Giving Oneself Credit

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