Cognitive Distortions 101: The Hidden Link Between Cognitive Distortions, Anxiety, and Depression

Cognitive Distortions are negative thought patterns that make people view a situation inaccurately. For instance, consider someone who, upon getting a rejection letter for an application, does not take it as a single setback but starts reasoning by saying, “I am a complete failure,” while overlooking their qualifications as well as opportunities in the future.

Another scenario could be where a person might think, “If I do not get this job, I will never get work again,” this increases stress and hopelessness about future job prospects. These distorted thoughts may adversely influence mental health, contributing to feelings of depression and anxiety. Therefore, it is very important to recognize such concepts, how they are connected, and what kind of interventions could help one get out of this trouble.

According to Psychologist Meenakshi Kanwar, Cognitive distortions are present in people with not only Anxiety but also Mood Disorders. These distortions result due to their inability to ‘filter out’ their sensations and emotions. Hence, whatever is present in their environment and even in their thought process leads to a conflict between their actions and their thinking. And that is where the distortion erupts wherein they can not make decisions easily.

This is the real reason behind anxiety which leads to the perpetration of anxiety disorders. Some anxiety disorders that are commonly seen are floating anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety, and Diffuse anxiety, which means they are anxious for the whole day, but they don’t know the reason behind it. And unfortunately, most of the youth worldwide is suffering from these types of psychological disorders.

What Causes Cognitive Distortions?

Various factors can cause cognitive distortions in the thoughts and perceptions of individuals. These can be used to understand and identify distorted patterns of thought effectively. They are:

Past Experiences

Cognitive distortions are often a result of specific traumatic or emotionally imbued past experiences. A child who has been bullied may believe that he or she is unlikable and therefore unworthy of being liked. This belief manifests in the negative self-perception in the present. Such negative experiences have established mental constructs that have aligned with how one thinks about new events that occur in life.

Learnt Behaviours

Cognitive distortions are also learned behaviours. Often, they are modelled by a parent or significant other. If one person is exposed to negative thinking in the home environment, constant criticism or a pessimistic outlook, they adopt similar thought patterns. Over time, this becomes automatic, causing cognitive distortions to be responses to stress or adversity.

Underlying Mental Health Conditions

Conditions such as anxiety and depression can intensify cognitive distortions. Individuals who suffer from these conditions are often prone to negative thinking patterns because of their emotional state. For example, an individual suffering from depression will catastrophize the situations by assuming the worst outcomes in such situations; which, therefore, further deepens symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Personality Traits

Some personality characteristics promote cognitive distortions. For instance, perfectionism tends to induce all-or-nothing thinking, where actions and situations are seen as either entirely acceptable or unacceptable, with no shades of grey in sight. Low self-esteem can lead to overgeneralization, a tendency to globalize one adverse experience and interpret it as a reflection of failure in general.

Ruminative Thinking

Ruminative thinking is characterized by focusing on instances of problematic thoughts or problems without finding a solution. This form of thinking might create a cycle of negative thoughts that perpetuates cognitive distortions. For instance, one individual may be playing his social interaction over and over in his mind, focusing on the perceived mistakes made and concluding that he is socially incompetent.

Cultural and Environmental Factors

Cultural factors may also play a role in cognitive distortions, including societal expectations and values that encourage specific beliefs. For example, cultures where achievement and success are emphasized may result in perfectionistic standards, distorted cognition in failure and inadequacy in self-esteem. Environmental stressors such as financial difficulties or relationship problems may further compound negative thought patterns.

Read More: Teaching Financial Literacy for Better Mental Health

Biological Factors

Some researchers regard biological factors and, more specifically, genes and neurochemistry as enhancing the ‘predisposition’ to cognitive distortion. Those who have close family members with a history of mental illness could be also prone to developing patterns of distorted thinking they inherited from their relatives.

Correlation Between Depression and Cognitive Distortions

Depression is a common mental health condition with thousands of millions of people worldwide who experience significant emotional and physical pain. One factor in creating and maintaining depressive states is the propagation of cognitive distortions that might feed feelings of despair and hopelessness.

Research Evidence Linking Cognitive Distortions to Depression

This research has revealed that cognitive distortions are significantly related to depression. Many studies have followed the quest to understand how such distorted thoughts increase signs of depression and influence treatment outcomes. Below is one such summary:

1. Participants

The sample consisted of 150 clinical subjects, with 50 each diagnosed with Panic Disorder (PD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). The healthy control group consisted of the other 91 participants. Sample diversity was taken into account for the comparison between cognitive distortions in different anxiety disorders versus a non-clinical sample group.

2. Methods

The participants were assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory, the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, the Cognitive Distortions Scale and finally by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The tests measured variables of depression, dysfunctional attitudes, and certain cognitions.

Results

It was discovered that patients with anxiety disorders showed significantly more cognitive distortions than healthy control groups. In particular, typical cognitive distortions like catastrophizing, mind reading and all-or-nothing thinking were common across the clinical groups. Specifically in social anxiety disorder, distortions such as personalization and labelling are greater than in panic disorder groups while generalized anxiety disorder shows more severe cases of mental filtering.

The results pointed out that cognitive distortions are positively related to symptoms of anxiety, thus pointing out their role as significant in the development and maintenance of depressive disorders.

Mechanisms Behind The Correlation

This relationship may be explained by several mechanisms between cognitive distortions and depression:

• Negative Self-Concept: Cognitive distortions often feed a negative sense of self. An all-or-nothing thinker might label themselves an utter failure if they experience the slightest failure or disappointment that would end in a deep sense of worthlessness linked to symptoms of depression.

• Biased thoughts: Biased thoughts can cloud emotional regulation. This will end up flooding the person with stressors because their interpretation of events is distorted, which increases their emotional distress.
• Reinforcement Cycle: Cognitive distortion generates a feedback loop in which the negative thoughts create depressive symptoms, which in turn reinforce distorted thinking. This cycle makes it challenging for individuals to break free from negative mindsets.
• Social Isolation: Cognitive distortions can also contribute to social withdrawal. Individuals may believe they are unlikable or undeserving of companionship due to their distorted perceptions, leading them to isolate themselves further and exacerbating feelings of loneliness and depression.

10 Common Cognitive Distortions Damaging Your Mental Health

The study of particular types of cognitive distortions can guide one in identifying harmful thought patterns that contribute to the formation of depression and anxiety. Cognitive distortions may be presented in very many ways, for example:

1. All-or-Nothing Thinking

All-or-nothing thinking, or black-and-white thinking, is a cognitive distortion where one thinks in stark extremes, failing to note the nuances and shades of grey lying in between. Such thinking builds unrealistic hopes and resultantly leads to extreme self-judgment. For example, there is a student who puts a huge effort into studying for an exam and yet gets only a B grade.

This would make the student brand themselves as a failure rather than acknowledging their effort and the fact that getting a B is still an accomplishment. That kind of thinking overlooks the fact that they performed well overall and that grades are but one aspect of the student’s experience. All-or-nothing thinking creates undue pressure and stress, leading us to a belief that we have to become perfect or else we have completely failed at it. This can also discourage us when we fail to meet unrealistic expectations.

Read More: How to Shift from All-or-Nothing Thinking to a Balanced Mindset

2. Overgeneralization

Overgeneralization is a situation whereby an individual experiences a negative event, often a mild one, and considers it to be the defining thing of their lives or personalities. For example, after attending a job interview and being told that they did not get the job, such a person may think something like ‘I guess I’m just unemployable’.

This line of reasoning is dangerous as it does not leave room for positive outcomes in the future and results in despair. Instead of appreciating it as one of many difficulties, overgeneralization tends to present it as a cycle that is destined to repeat itself. Understanding this tendency is the first and very important step in getting out of this cycle.

3. Mental Filtering

Mental filtering works similarly to using a filter that blocks all positive and neutral information while permitting only negative input. For instance, one could be complimented for the good work done on a project at their workplace only to remember discarding such praise due to a single negative commentary. This distortion can lead the person to be overwhelmed within himself even when all proof stands to the contrary. Allowing only the negative side to dominate one’s thinking probably brings loss in cherishing one’s own achievements and abilities as they go unnoticed. As an antidote to that, one must give thanks and appreciate both the good and bad aspects of every circumstance.

4. Catastrophizing

It applies to a limited problem or situation that we tend to amplify in the mind to make a bigger problem out of it. For instance, if you have a mild headache, you could be asking questions such as, “What if I have a brain tumour?” This thinking does not help and serves to increase stress levels and anxiety, causing even the day-to-day problems to appear exceedingly challenging. It is important to challenge these thoughts by evaluating how likely the most possible conclusion is, or whether one is simply pessimistically visualizing that which is the worst imaginable. This makes you able to control your worries.

Read More: What Catastrophizing Does to Your Mind—and How to Stop It

5. Personalization

Personalization is when we think everything that is going on around us has something to do with us or is our fault, even though it may not be. For example, when a friend seems down, you might think you have something to do with that which causes unwarranted feelings of guilt and anxiety. In this kind of thinking, we feel very emotionally burdened as we blame ourselves for things we cannot change. Realizing not everything revolves around us can make life a bit easier and also strengthen our bond with others.

6. “Should” Statements

“Should” statements are unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves or others, which might lead to frustration and disappointment. For example, if one says, “I should always be successful, then that places a standard no one can ever win at all times.” These put pressure on the individual and might even make him or her feel inadequate when he or she cannot get to the unattainable. Instead of using “should,” think in a more lenient or accepting way: “I would like to succeed” or “It’s okay to make mistakes.”

7. Mind Reading

Mind reading is believing we know what others are thinking without any proof. For example, if a coworker does not smile at you in a meeting you may feel that he or she does not like you or that he or she is angry with you. Such thinking can sometimes lead to stress and misunderstandings in relationships with people. Rather than assuming what others are thinking, it is rather better to openly discuss and ask if you are unsure.

8. Emotional Reasoning

Emotional reasoning is the assumption that our emotions reflect reality. Thus, when we feel worthless or anxious, we believe it, that is, when we are nervous about giving a presentation, we may be saying, “I’m going to fail.” In this way, our negative thinking can trap us in nasty feelings because it denies facts and makes low self-esteem worse. This misconception is cured when the fact is brought forth that one must remember that emotions are not reality; they are transient and can change.

9. Naming

Labeling involves giving oneself negative tags for some reason or another. So, if you make a mistake at the office, you consider yourself “a loser” or “incompetent”. Such bad labelling enables stringent but simplistic judgments to eliminate chances of learning from those experiences. Instead of labelling yourself negatively, try viewing mistakes as part of the learning process.

10. Undervaluing the Positive

Undervaluing the positive means ignoring or dismissing positive experiences as unimportant or insignificant. For instance, after receiving praise for completing a project well, someone might think, “They were just being nice; it doesn’t count.” This distortion prevents us from fully appreciating our accomplishments and can lead to low self-esteem over time. Acknowledging and celebrating even small successes can help counteract this tendency and foster a more balanced view of our abilities. When we understand these thinking mistakes and notice when they happen in our thoughts, we can start to challenge them better and create a more positive way of thinking!

Conclusion

Cognitive distortions are deeply ingrained, faulty thought patterns that alter a perception one has of reality, thereby sometimes creating anxiety and depression. These distortions are caused by past experiential behaviours and, in some cases, biological issues. They arise in such forms as overgeneralization, all-or-nothing thinking, and catastrophizing. Such modes of thought result in poor levels of self-concept and, therefore, maintain a pattern of distortion, intensifying depressive symptoms. The understanding and acknowledgement of these cognitive errors thus form part of the important early steps in the disengagement of this cycle, leading to healthier, more balanced thought and improved mental well-being.

These distorted thought patterns were for the first time identified by Aaron Beck in the 1960s as part of his cognitive theory of depression. Beck found that people experiencing depression typically presented systematic errors in their thinking that resulted in their negative attitude towards themselves, perceptions of experiences, and prospects. Recognizing these cognitive distortions is crucial for developing healthier thought patterns and improving mental well-being.

FAQs

1. Does Cognitive Dissonance have the potential to cause adverse impacts on mental health and well-being?

Cognitive dissonance happens when psychological conflict, stress, and anxiety are felt along with feelings of guilt or shame by the individual because these conflicting beliefs have been retained by them. In the long run, this unattended stressed state may lead to more affected mental health problems such as depression or anxiety that may prove long-lasting. Cognitive dissonance needs to be recognized and treated promptly for healthy emotional living through conflict resolution strategies.

2. What is the link between cognitive dissonance and decision-making?

Individuals may experience a certain degree of uneasiness regarding the possible decision because of internal conflict in beliefs or values about the issue. To alleviate the tension they feel, individuals tend to rationalize their behaviour to themselves after the decision has been made, seeking the favourable aspects of their selected alternative while minimizing the negative attributes of other possible alternatives. Understanding this could help individuals make better decisions while recognizing cognitive dissonance as a potential source of bias in decisions.

3. What are the symptoms of cognitive dissonance? 

Awareness of dissonance involves an underlying discomfort or disquiet about personal beliefs and actions. Commonly associated with it is either some anxiety remorse or defensiveness regarding the particular ruling or act at that time. You may experience cognitive dissonance if you are trying to rationalize a wrong decision such as spending more than you usually save. Reflection on occasions when you find it difficult to make a decision can help you identify and understand the beliefs involved.