List of Cognitive Distortions 

1. All-or-Nothing Thinking: Viewing situations on one extreme or another instead of on a continuum. 
Ex. “If my child does bad things, it’s because I am a bad parent.” 


2. Catastrophizing: Predicting only negative outcomes for the future. Ex. “If I fail my final, my life will be over.” 


3. Disqualifying or Discounting the Positive: Telling yourself that the good things that happen to you don’t count. 
Ex. “My daughter told her friend that I was the best Dad in the world, but I’m sure she was just being nice.” 


4. Emotional Reasoning: Feeling about something overrules facts to the contrary.
 Ex. “Even though Steve is here at work late every day, I know I work harder than anyone else at my job.” 


5. Labeling: Giving someone or something a label without finding out more about it/them. Ex. “My daughter would never do anything I disapproved of.” 
 

6. Magnification/Minimization: Emphasizing the negative or downplaying the positive of a situation. 
Ex. “My professor said he made some corrections on my paper, so I know I’ll probably fail the class.” 


7. Mental Filter/Tunnel Vision: Placing all your attention on the negatives of a situation or seeing only the negatives of a situation. 
Ex. “My husband says he wished I was better at housekeeping, so I must be a lousy wife.”
      Ex. “My daughter’s boyfriend got suspended from school. He’s a loser and won’t ever amount to anything.” 
 

8. Mind Reading: Believing you know what others are thinking.
 Ex. “My house was dirty when my friends came over, so I know they think I’m a slob.” 


9. Overgeneralization: Making an overall negative conclusion beyond the current situation. Ex. “My husband didn’t kiss me when he came home this evening. Maybe he doesn’t love me anymore.” 


10. Personalization: Thinking the negative behavior of others has something to do with you. Ex. “My daughter has been pretty quiet today. I wonder what I did to upset her.” 


11. “Should” and “Must” Statements: Having a concrete idea of how people should behave. Ex. “I should get all A’s to be a good student.”