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Recognising and Overcoming Cognitive Distortions (biased ways of thinking)

Phased

Recognising and overcoming cognitive distortions (biased ways of thinking)

I picked up on  (thanks again if you're reading this :-)  ) recommendation about this  https://youtu.be/Ek6V4F6nWM8 ?  I find it a great start for beneficial for self-help.  Right place, right time as they say.

"Cognitive distortions are biased ways of thinking that can cause individuals to perceive situations, themselves, and others in a negative or inaccurate light. They are often automatic and habitual, making them difficult to recognize without conscious effort. " says google.

This is a core part of CBT which I acknowledge is considered less successful for autistic people than for neurotypicals.  hehe perhaps that's because of the cognitive distortions that autistic people experience which CBT is aimed at helping!

Change is hard for autistic people and maybe in part it is related to one's thinking...  So maybe changing one's thinking is especially hard for autistics?  

Anyway the link at the top I personally found to be a good base for some self-help on this.

So I would like to promote a discussion about it please.

Maybe some of you reading this are in the right place and the right time for it too?

Maybe some of you have tried it and it didn't work for you?

Maybe some have tips for making it work or pitfalls to avoid?

Maybe just to say it works and is worth the hard work?

Best Wishes - Live long and Prosper!

Parents

  • Thanks for posting this   

    I am told I make cognitive distortions all the time. Ooops, not true. I have been told a few times that I sometimes make cognitive distortions, but I am working hard to recognise these, often replacing distortion with fact.

    I find CBT techniques more useful for anxiety and self esteem than for depression. Depression has been hanging over me for most of my life, yet I have had much input from psychiatrists, psychologists & CBT therapists, especially in my younger days. I recently returned to some of my old CBT worksheets in self esteem, and this time round they have been more helpful, possibly because I understand myself better following autism diagnosis. The health service in N. Ireland is in dire straights, so I have no hope of a further referral within a reasonable timeframe. 

    I think it is important to recognise and acknowledge the issues that are not black and white and pick one thing at a time to work on for the next week(s). If people have a family member or friend who could watch or read up on the aspect you are working on, they could be tasked with helping you recognise the distortion. It requires work and sustained effort, but in my experience is worth it. 

  • in reply to ArchaeC

    Love the way you caught the generalisation distortion there    :-)

    I figure that the way around the depression thing could be related to the magnification of bad and minimisation of good distortion according to this analysis?  So... the link says a way round this is  by giving yourself a pat on the back and not ignoring compliments.  Hehe I gave you one at the start of my response and I'll give you another for your fine manners in thanking for the post.  For these you are very welcome :-)

    Good call too for suggesting taking things gradually.  Hehe as for family or friends picking up on distortions and pointing out to me yep, good idea too!  Mind you there's a lot of autism in my household... I reckon I may be dodging thrown objects with my pointing them out to others by the end of the week!

    All the best, and thanks for adding so well to the discussion :-)  (hehe - did I lay that on too thick? maybe I "could" work on that :-)  )

  • in reply to Phased

    Thank you for the compliment  , also for your kind words. 
    I will survive your comments at the end. Smile (Don’t feel you “should” work on that)

    Phased said:
    hehe - did I lay that on too thick? maybe I "could" work on that :-)  )
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