5 Common Distortions in Thinking and Cognition That Can Affect Recovery

For example, beating yourself up over having one drink in the last 30 days instead of considering the other 29 days—and even only having one drink before stopping—a valid victory. Listed below are 15 common thinking distortions which were created based on the theory that psychiatrist Aaron Beck put forth and that David Burns popularized by labeling each one. For example, someone might experience the impression that they are incapable of sobriety. As a result, this may lead to depression, anxiety, and isolation.

To accept your powerlessness and unmanageability in Step One requires you to abandon your old reality. Although it sounds easy, giving up addictive thinking is hard. Even if it’s “stinking thinking,” it’s old, familiar, and therefore comfortable ground. When you let go of all the defenses and insane thoughts that held your reality together, what’s left? Cultivate an attitude of trust so you can be open and remain open to the perceptions and knowledge of others.

All-or-Nothing Thinking in Addiction

Robin Cox is the Chief Financial Officer at Cumberland Heights, the Southeast’s premier alcohol and drug addiction treatment center. Emotional reasoning is one of the most insidious Top 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing Sober House cognitive distortions. People with this habit may believe that something is true because they feel a certain way about it, eschewing physical evidence in the process.

CBT teaches addicted individuals to recognize addiction-related behavior and correct it by applying learned skills. Still, cognitive distortions sometimes go hand in hand with mental health conditions, such as personality disorders. Control fallacies, overgeneralization, and global labeling are a few common cognitive distortions that may lead to negative thinking. This is because negative thinking inspires negative emotions which in turn produce more negative thoughts. The frame of mind in which you interpret your circumstances (environment, life events, interactions) shapes how and when you find meaning.

How to stop cognitive distortions and negative thinking

Pause and run through this 4-part exercise to practice noticing your thinking errors and learning to untwist them. It’s not easy to recognize that our thoughts are twisted and skewed. We’ve been taught to go with whatever our initial thought and feeling is.  Plus, it’s easier and it feels so true! But remember, feelings are facts and thoughts aren’t completely true. We use a lens all the time through which we interpret our circumstances. You can’t change others’ minds or hearts, and the sooner you stop trying to control the world, the sooner the world will be a more manageable place.

When you share your emotion-based reasoning, listen to how others react. When people are shocked or offended by your statements, take the time to figure out why. Identify never, always, cannot and all absolute statements – listen to your thoughts and identify when you are using the all-or-nothing words. When you hear these words in your thoughts, ask yourself if this is really true or is this all-or-nothing thinking.

Ways to Get Rid of Brain Fog for a Stronger Recovery

We know how important it is to address the mental health of people struggling with addiction and the positive long-term effects it can have for them in recovery. We are all guilty of letting cognitive distortions take over our emotions and beliefs more than once. Unfortunately, these negative thinking patterns can often be so subtle we don’t notice them until someone else points them out. Beck also developed the basis of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that can help people struggling with negative thinking patterns.

For example, when you have a negative mindset, you subconsciously search experiences for negative exchanges. You then hyperfocus on the one bad and forget the good things that surrounded it. Start becoming aware of your twisted thinking and stop trusting what your brain automatically comes up with.