This thinking error assumes that current negative emotions will persist indefinitely. It ignores the possibility of emotional growth and the positive changes that can come with recovery. This example of cognitive distortions overgeneralization involves taking one period of difficulty and applying it to the future indefinitely. Cognitive distortions can significantly impact our thoughts and emotions, leading to a negative perception of ourselves and the world. However, by understanding these thought patterns and actively challenging them, we can break free from their grasp and cultivate a healthier mindset.
By combining this philosophy with a set of practical recovery skills to keep positive thoughts in circulation, addiction recovery becomes a much more manageable goal. Justification is when the addict rationalizes their substance use to cope or feel better about their problem. Justifying your addiction is another way of refusing to admit that you have a problem and need help—like denial. Justification thinking is another type of cognitive distortion in addiction recovery that is used as a form of self-medication or a way to cope with the stress or pain the addict is experiencing. An example of justification thinking in addiction would be someone rationalizing the amount of alcohol they’ve had because it was a tough week.
Emotional Reasoning
This cognitive distortion is how addicts convince themselves they need drugs or alcohol to function and live. Leading with your emotions is almost always problematic and harmful to the individual and those involved, especially if one is actively using. It creates a dependence on the substance to manage and maintain emotions. Emotional reasoning in addiction recovery is particularly challenging as https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview it prevents addicts from recognizing and addressing the underlying issues contributing to their addiction.
Addressing Overgeneralization Through CBT
But more importantly, we’ve discovered that these chains can be broken. By learning to identify thinking errors in ourselves, challenging irrational thoughts, and developing healthy coping mechanisms, we can begin to rewrite our mental narratives. Remember, overcoming thinking errors is a process, not a one-time event. It’s like learning a new language – it takes time, practice, and patience.
Addiction Therapy Programs
With black and white thinking you can easily categorize people and situations without having to actually think about the impact or consequences. If you’re struggling with addiction and recognizing some of these thinking errors in yourself, I encourage you to reach out for help. Whether it’s joining a support group, seeking therapy, or exploring holistic treatment options, there are many paths to recovery.
This page shares 13 common myths and facts about addiction so you can make more informed decisions about your health or the health of a loved one. Join our supportive sober community where each day becomes a step towards personal growth and lasting positive change. This fatalistic view assumes that past behaviors permanently dictate the future. It dismisses the possibility of recovery and personal growth, no matter how long someone has struggled with addiction.
Deny Addiction
Challenge what you think you know about addiction and be open to new perspectives and approaches. A common example of overgeneralization thinking in addiction is believing that a single relapse means complete failure. This mindset overlooks the fact that relapse can be a part of the recovery process and does not negate previous progress. Have you ever found yourself trapped in a loop of negative thoughts, where everything seems bleak and overwhelming? Many people experience this, often due to cognitive distortions—unhelpful thought patterns that can skew our perception of reality.
Food Addiction
- This distortion occurs when an individual assumes that because one treatment method was not successful, all treatment options are doomed to fail.
- The first step to change thinking errors is to be aware of your thought patterns.
- Like, I don’t struggle with many of these things at this stage of the game.
- Drugs and alcohol change your behavior at home, which in turn changes your relationship with your kids.
- When it comes to coping with cognitive distortions in recovery, many people require therapy to prevent these thought patterns from disrupting their progress.
- With black and white thinking you can easily categorize people and situations without having to actually think about the impact or consequences.
Catastrophizing is when you expect the worst possible outcome in any situation. This thinking error example often leads to anxiety and can trigger a relapse if you believe that disaster is inevitable. Telling the Future (also known as Fortune Telling) is where you anticipate situations will turn out badly and convinced that your prediction is accurate. By predicting a negative outcome subconsciously you’ll find ways to make that outcome happen therefore proving that your predictions are accurate. In the beginning, you may need to challenge your thoughts regularly throughout the day. But as your brain begins to heal, and you build more time in recovery, the process gets easier.
Thoughts like, “I should be sober by now” can actually keep you from seeking alcohol addiction help out of shame. The focus of this article is to learn to recognize common ways of thinking that lead to emotional upsets and, as a result, unwanted behaviors… such as addiction. This distortion involves believing that one person’s reaction is representative of everyone’s feelings. It can discourage individuals from seeking reconciliation and support from others. Mental filtering is the tendency to dwell on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positives. Imagine receiving feedback at work where one point is critical while the rest are positive.
Mind Reading is an arbitrary conclusion that someone is reacting negatively to you, without actually looking at the facts of the situation. With mind reading you always get to be right at the cost of personal relationships. You can make poor assumptions about others without investigating if they are true, harming your relationships.
- CBT is like a mental workout routine, training your brain to recognize and challenge irrational thoughts.
- For example, “I feel like a failure, so I must be one.” This type of thinking can be particularly harmful in recovery.
- His work illuminated how certain thought patterns, like pessimism or overgeneralizing negative events, were central to depressive states.
- Therapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy, is valuable for overcoming cognitive distortions.
- Seeking feedback from trusted friends, family members, or support group peers can provide valuable insights.
- Lastly, thinking errors play a starring role in rationalizing relapse.
Recovery Support
This last lie that addicts tell themselves is another form of denial. Prescription medications are one of the most commonly abused medicines in the world. An estimated 2.4 million people use them recreationally or abuse them daily. You can become addicted to prescription medicine just as you can to hard drugs like heroin and cocaine.
But with persistence, you can become fluent in the language of balanced, healthy thinking. Enter Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the superhero of the therapy world when it comes to tackling thinking errors. CBT is like a mental workout routine, training your brain to recognize and challenge irrational thoughts. It’s all about replacing those distorted thoughts with more balanced, realistic ones. Mindfulness practices can also be incredibly helpful in identifying thinking errors.
