A cognitive distortion is a thinking pattern that shapes how we see the world and means that we may put more emphasis on negative information. When you are managing a chronic health condition it can be easy to get caught up in these distortions, especially if you have had a difficult or traumatic past experience.

Once you understand the different patterns, it is easier to spot them in the way you are thinking and question whether they are helping you see things in an objective way. Some common distortions are:

All or nothing thinking

You look at a situation from the extremes of good/bad or right/wrong without considering the grey areas.

Overgeneralistion

You might often find yourself using the phrases 'always' or 'never' when describing your experiences.

Mental filtering

You filter out all the evidence that goes against your thought and only consider information that backs it up.

Catasthrophising

Your mind jumps to the worst case scenario without considering other, more moderate outcomes.

Mind reading

You assume you know what other people are thinking or saying about you – usually negatively.

Fortune telling

You predict future outcomes, even when you have no idea of knowing what will happen.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? Try to spot them in your patterns of thinking. It can be useful to write some of your observations down in your smile file.

Investigate Thoughts