Emotional regulation is HARD when your mind distorts reality.

This new 'Faces' series is based on common distortions from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that reinforce irrational storylines + contribute to anxiety/depression.

Individual write-ups below (with more detail)!

ALL-OR-NOTHING THINKING:
+ Habitual black & white thinking
+ Sees people and events in absolute terms
+ Everything is a success or total failure
+ No middle ground

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (1/16)

BLAMING:
+ Blames self (or others) for things outside their control
+ Always wants to know whose “fault” things are
+ Focuses on who’s to blame for the problem, rather than working to find a solution

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (2/16)

CATASTROPHIZING:
+ Blows things out of proportion
+ Thinks tough situations will never end
+ Always expects the worst
+ Doubts ability to handle things

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (3/16)

JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS:
+ Creates thoughts and opinions based on assumptions
+ Deduces things based on feelings, not facts
+ Looks for clues to prove they’re right (cognitive bias)

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (4/16)

DENYING:
+ Refuses to accept current (often undesirable) circumstances
+ Just wants to “go back to how things were”
+ Spends time wishing things were different, instead of finding ways to move forward

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (5/16)

DOWNPLAYING POSITIVES:
+ “They’re just saying that to be nice, they don’t really mean it.”
+ Doesn’t give self credit for things
+ Dismisses positive experiences
+ Accomplishments “don’t count”

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (6/16)

EMOTIONAL REASONING:
+ Relies on gut feelings to guide decisions
+ Believes things are true because they “feel” true
+ Can have difficulty separating emotions from facts

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (7/16)

JUDGING FAIRNESS:
+ May become resentful over unequal treatment
+ Deeply-held moral beliefs about right and wrong
+ Difficulty accepting unpleasant or unfair outcomes

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (8/16)

FORTUNE-TELLING:
+ Believes they know how things will end up turning out
+ Attempts to predict future outcomes, reactions, or events
+ Anticipates negative outcomes, regardless of actual odds

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (9/16)

LABELING:
+ Judgemental (and often critical) of self or others
+ Reduces self or others down to a single — usually negative — descriptor, based on their behavior (lazy, stupid, failure)
+ Misunderstands and underestimates people

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (10/16)

MIND READING:
+ Predicts what people are thinking or how they feel
+ Assumes intent (often the worst) without real evidence
+ Tends to overanalyze reactions

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (11/16)

NEGATIVE FILTERING:
+ Only focuses on the negative aspects of situations
+ Rarely gives people the benefit of the doubt
+ Ignores positive events that conflict with pre-existing ideas

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (12/16)

PERSONALIZING:
+ Tendency to believe everything others say and do is about them
+ Takes everything personally
+ Blames self for things they aren’t responsible for

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (13/16)

NEEDING TO BE RIGHT:
+ Feels the need to defend their views and prove they’re correct
+ Ego-centric and self-destructive
+ Always being “right” can become more important than the feelings of others

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (14/16)

“SHOULD” BELIEFS:
+ Thinks in terms of “should,” “must,” and “supposed to”
+ Holds firm beliefs of how things out to be done
+ Disappointed when self or others don’t live up to high internal expectations

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (15/16)

INTOLERANCE OF UNCERTAINTY:
+ Deeply uncomfortable not knowing how things will turn out
+ Anxious when not in control of situations or outcomes
+ Decision paralysis; often worried about making the “wrong” choice

"Faces of Cognitive Distortions" (16/16)

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