15 Most Common Cognitive Distortions

15 Most Common Cognitive Distortions Part 1

Narinig mo na ba ang term na “Cognitive Distortions”? Ano ba ito at bakit mahalagang alamin natin?

Ang cognitive distortions ay mga pamamaraaan ng pagiisip or thinking patterns na akala natin ay factual o katotohanan pero hindi. This is our brain lying to us and making us believe that our thought patterns are the reality. When you start to feed off of what you “think” is real but in actuality, they are far from the truth, you start creating a bleak forecast for yourself. Your brain starts to think that is the way to cope with any emotional discomfort, that that is the way to protect you from danger. It will start to reinforce negative neural pathways—madalas ay negatibong pagiisip therefore, negative din ang output mo sa buhay. When cognitive distortions are left unchecked, it would lead to more mental health suffering and disorder. Kaya’t mahalagang baguhin natin ito.

It helps to know what cognitive distortions are so you can start challenging your thought process and changing your thinking patterns.

1.Mental Filtering

Sa Mental Filtering, wala kang ibang nakikita kundi negative at kung ano ano pang pangit sa sitwasyon kahit marami namang positive. You filter out any positive because you are hyper-focusing on the negative.

For example, hindi ka natanggap sa inaaplayan mo today. You were really banking on that, but you didn’t get it. Instead, you got a call for a job offer for another company although it is smaller than your other “dream company”. Also, on the same day, you got a call that your mom is coming to visit from the province and she’s bringing some of your favorite kakanin.

Instead of seeing the positive things happening (job offer from company B, mom coming to town, and you’ll get a taste of your favorite kakanin), you will mainly focus on the “failure” that you think you are because you didn’t get the job at company A. You start thinking what a loser you are, that you are not worth working at a big company like Company A, and other forms of self-defeating self-talk. You have completely ruled out or filtered the other positive things that happened to you that day and mainly focused on the one negative that happened.

2. Overgeneralization

Gumagawa ka ng mga general conclusions base lamang sa isang single event. Halimbawa, dahil bumagsak ka sa board exam, therefore iisipin mo na hindi ka na magtatagumpay sa kahit anong bagay sa tanang buhay mo. The reality is that you can take the board exam again. You may or may not pass but it does not determine whether you are going to be a failure for the rest of your life.
Another example, one of your married friends got divorced/separated, therefore, you will think marriages are not successful and sooner or later your own marriage will also crumble. You now focus on the event that happened to your friend and therefore draw a general conclusion that all marriages will eventually fall apart or that no marriage will ever succeed.

3. Black and White Thinking

When people think in black and white or all or nothing, ang mga madalas gamiting salita ay “Always”, “Never”, “Impossible”, “Kahit kailan”, “Palagi na lang”, “Dapat”, “Sukdulan”, “Hindi na nagbago”, “Walang pinag iba”, and other superlative words and phrases to describe negative extremes. Ang taong madalas mag-isip in black and white or all or nothing terms ay walang flexibility, walang gray area. A person or situation is either bad or good.

Halimbawa, ang kasamahan mo sa simbahan ay nakapalda ng sobrang ikse. Para sa iyo, hindi ito angkop so ang automatic response or thinking mo ay: “Kung talagang totoong Christian yan, dapat hindi yan nagsisimba ng maiksi ang palda”. Keep in mind na ang pagiging Kristiyano ng isang babae ay hindi nasusukat sa iksi o haba ng palda.

Another example, narinig mong nagmura yung apo mo. Ang automatic na iisipin mo sa manugang mo ay: “Masama kang nanay, yung anak mo marunong nang magmura, hindi mo naturuan ng tama”. Hindi ibig sabihin na dahil nagmura yung bata ay masama nang nanay yung manugang mo. Maaaring nakarinig lang ng pagmumura yung bata sa may tindahan ni Aling Nena. Ang pagmumura nung apo mo ay hindi sukatan ng pagiging mabuting ina ng nanay nya.

Third example, nagagalit ka sa asawa mo dahil maraming gawaing bahay na hindi natapos; you get so mad and automatically say,“Kahit kailan hindi ka man lang tumutulong sa gawaing bahay”. Maaaring madalas, hindi tumutulong ang asawa mo sa gawaing bahay pero hindi totoo na kahit kailan as in NEVER na hindi sya tumulong sa gawaing bahay. Fourth example, habang tinitingnan mo ang sarili mo sa salamin, ang automatic na iniisip mo ay,“Ang taba taba ko at ang itim itim ko pa; ang pangit ko! Kahit kailan walang magkakagusto sa akin”. Hindi ibig sabihin na dahil may kalusugan ka at maitim ka ay pangit ka na. Yan ang tingin mo sa sarili mo. Pero maraming tao na nagagandahan sa morenang balat at may pagka chubby na katawan.

4. Jumping to Conclusions

No one knows exactly what another person is thinking. Fortune telling is also part of this. When we jump into conclusions, we make inaccurate assumptions by disregarding pieces of evidence; we immediately make definitive conclusions and judgments. People tend to be paranoid and suspicious of others which in turn wreaks havoc on relationships.

Here are some scenarios showing the “jumping to conclusion” thought process. Nakita mo sa grocery store friend mo pero hindi ka nya nginitian. You jump into conclusion thinking “Galit siguro sya sa akin”, or “Napaka-suplada naman ni Mare, di man lang ako pinansin”. Yun pala, hindi ka lang talaga nya nakita. O kaya naman, malalim ang iniisip dahil sa problema at hindi ka nya napansin.

Second scenario, you just got word that your boss is retiring. You foretell the future that the other assistant manager will replace him even though you also have a fair chance of getting the job. You may say “Panigurado ako si Mark na ang papalit sa kanya, wala naman akong binatbat sa credentials nun”. The reality is, nobody told you who is replacing the boss. Besides, you have not even made an attempt yet to apply so how do you know exactly what will happen?

Third example, your husband came home and tells you he is not having dinner. You jump to conclusion that he thinks your cooking is bad, “Hindi mo gusto yung niluto ko ano?” Your husband did not actually say that, in reality, he is just exhausted because of a deadline he needed to meet early that day.

5. Catastrophizing

This is a typical thinking pattern that makes people feel more anxious. Because they assume the worst things that could happen in any given situation.

Here are some scenarios that show this thought process: It’s your first day at work, you got stuck in traffic at EDSA, you start thinking, “I’m going to be late, my coworkers will think I am not dependable and my boss will fire me!”. If this is your first day at work chances are, your boss may give you another chance. Maybe traffic may ease up and you will get to work in time after all.

Another example, narinig mo sa balita na merong paparating na bagyo and you automatically panic. You think, “Naku, darating na ang bagyo, hindi pa naayos ang bahay, liliparin ang bubong, mawawalan tayo ng tirahan!” First, you can check the facts of the typhoon and prepare accordingly. Kung hindi naman kayo nasa area na dadaanan ng bagyo, no need to catastrophize.