Warped Thoughts

Question 1

All or None thinking

Answer 1

Everything is perceived to be either full on or full off. If something isn’t fully completed, or right, or perfect, then it’s entirely unfinished / wrong / spoiled.

Question 2

Overgeneralisation

Answer 2

One example of a mistake or error is interpreted as a pattern of mistakes, and errors.

Question 3

Mental filter

Answer 3

One (negative) part of the picture is examined to the exclusion of the larger (positive) part.

Question 4

Minimising the positive

Answer 4

Dismissing or ignoring any positive comment, achievement or compliment.

Question 5

Jumping to conclusions

Answer 5

You think negatively about something without supporting evidence. There are two errors:
• Mind reading: You think without any evidence that someone is thinking negatively about you.
• The fortune teller error: You truly believe that you know what will happen in the future, without evidence.

Question 6

Catastrophising

Answer 6

Negative things are magnified to seem bigger than they are and positive things are minimised to seem smaller than they are.

Question 7

Emotional reasoning

Answer 7

Thinking that how you feel inside reflects the true reality. For example, if you feel unloved, you believe that no-one loves you, even if there is evidence that other people care about you a lot.

Question 8

Should statements

Answer 8

Thinking in terms of should, must, ought imposes a view about the way the world is which may not tie in with reality, and which induces emotional unhappiness, resentment and guilt.

Question 9

Labelling and mislabelling

Answer 9

This is where a person gives themselves or others an unhelpful label based on very little evidence. Such as when a person who makes a joke that falls flat labels themselves a “loser”.

Question 10

Personalisation

Answer 10

This involves attributing blame to self for an event where the responsibility is not fully yours, only partly yours or not yours at all