How to Overcome Cognitive Distortions from Depression

Cognitive distortions harbor and facilitate the depressed state. Those with depression feel hopeless, distraught, angry and sad. When people experience cognitive distortions they are focused on the negative, generalize situations and people, set exceedingly high standards and have overly critical self-evaluation. Depression can be caused by habitual beliefs or thought patterns that prevent the individual from getting out of the mental state. Learn more about what cognitive distortions are and how to overcome them to get relief from depression.

Instructions

• 1

  Avoid the all-or-nothing mentality. People with cognitive distortions think they are complete failures if situations don't completely live up to their idea of success. For example, if an individual works on a business deal that falls through, he thinks he has failed, rather than appreciating what the experience taught him. Try to take away the positive aspects from disappointing situations. Make a list of the benefits of the experience and what you learned. Give yourself a break and use what you learned for the next similar experience.

• 2

  Embrace the positive. If a negative belief has been disqualified by a positive action, begin to question the negative. As an example, you wake up and believe you will have a bad day. On the way to work a stranger compliments your clothes or you find a great parking spot. Rather than celebrating those moments, you still believe the day isn't going to go well. Live for the moment instead of the entire day. If your morning went well, give the afternoon a chance to be positive. Be an observer. Observe your day rather than constantly reacting. You may find you are able to change your perspective, and thus the way you feel.

• 3

  Don't jump to conclusions. People suffering from depression and cognitive distortions desperately feel as though everyone around them shares the same negative beliefs about them as they do. If someone around you acts angry, you assume their problem is with you. Avoid this problem by asking them why they are upset. Regardless of their response, the way they see you shouldn't define your entire self-identity. Give people a chance to have their own bad days without it affecting the way you feel about yourself.

• 4

  Incorporate rational reasoning into your thinking. Many people with depression use emotional reasoning when reacting and experiencing the world. They tend to think that the way they feel reflects the way things really are in the world. Use rational reasoning. Write down on a piece of paper the top 10 things that make you feel bad or what negative event you are responding to. Then write down 10 positive things happening in the world even if they have nothing to do with you. Hopeless feelings run rampant in a depressed person's life. Give yourself something to feel good about. Take the piece of paper with you for the next time you feel bad about the world.

• 5

  Avoid labeling. Labeling is a form of black-and-white thinking. Thoughts like "I'm a loser" or "He's a failure" avoid dealing with the gray part of life. Mistakes and errors aren't necessarily reflections of people's self-worth. Recognize your positive aspects. There is a large range of feelings that you can feel, rather than just a total success or a complete failure. Allow yourself to make some mistakes without them becoming reflections of you.

• 6

  Talk to a therapist or counselor about depression and cognitive distortions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on changing unsuccessful behavioral patterns, dysfunctional thinking and emotional reactions. A therapist will be able to talk about past issues and help you set goals. Follow the link in references for finding a therapist in your area.