Summary: <p>Cognitive Distortions: Understanding and Addressing Them<br> Presented by: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes<br> Executive Director, AllCEUs</p> <p>A direct link to the CEU course is https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/520/c/</p> <p>Objectives<br> ~ Define Thinking Errors<br> ~ Explore the different types of thinking errors<br> ~ Cognitive distortions<br> ~ Irrational Thoughts<br> ~ Evaluate how thinking errors can play into our basic fears: Rejection, isolation, the unknown, loss of control, failure<br> ~ Identify ways to<br> ~ Increase awareness of thinking errors<br> ~ Address thinking errors<br> ~ Address basic fears</p> <p>Why I Care/How It Impacts Recovery<br> ~ Thinking errors, or stinkin’ thinkin’ plays a large part in keeping people miserable<br> ~ Addiction, depression, anxiety, anger and guilt often stem or are made worse by faulty thinking<br> ~ Addressing these thought patterns will help clients:<br> ~ Not make a mountain out of a molehill<br> ~ Focus on the things they can change<br> ~ Identify and eliminate thought patterns that are keeping them stuck<br> What are Thinking Errors<br> ~ Cognitive Distortions take a thought and manipulate it to<br> ~ Fulfil people’s expectations of a situation<br> ~ Conform to their current head space (negative sees negative)<br> ~ Irrational Thoughts are beliefs/thoughts that you may hold that<br> ~ Are usually extreme (I must have love and approval from everyone all the time)<br> ~ Are unrealistic<br> ~ Create feelings of failure, inadequacy, disempowerment</p> <p>Causes of Thinking Errors<br> ~ Information-processing shortcuts<br> ~ Using outdated, dichotomous schemas<br> ~ Mental noise<br> ~ The brain's limited information processing capacity<br> ~ Age<br> ~ Crisis<br> Causes of Thinking Errors<br> ~ Emotional causes<br> ~ I feel bad, therefore it must be bad<br> ~ Moral causes<br> ~ It was the right thing to do<br> ~ Social causes<br> ~ Everyone is doing it<br> Impact of Thinking Errors (Fight or Flee)<br> ~ Emotional upset<br> ~ Depression<br> ~ Anxiety<br> ~ Behavioral<br> ~ Withdrawal<br> ~ Addictions<br> ~ Sleep problems/changes<br> ~ Eating changes</p> <p>~ Physical<br> ~ Stress-related illnesses<br> ~ Headaches<br> ~ GI Distress<br> ~ Social<br> ~ Irritability/impatience<br> ~ Withdrawal</p> <p>Thinking Errors & Interventions<br> ~ Emotional Reasoning –Feelings are not facts<br> ~ Learn to effectively identify feelings and separate facts<br> ~ I am terrified<br> ~ About what are you terrified?<br> ~ What is the evidence that you are in danger now?<br> ~ In what ways is this similar to other situations?<br> ~ How have you dealt with those situations?<br> ~ Develop distress tolerance skills<br> ~ Develop emotional regulation skills</p> <p>Thinking Errors & Interventions<br> ~ Cognitive Bias/Negativity/Mental Filter– Focus on the negatives and worry about the future<br> ~ Questions<br> ~ What is the benefit to focusing on the negative?<br> ~ What are the positives to this situation?<br> ~ What are all the facts?<br> ~ Coin toss activity</p> <p>Thinking Errors & Interventions<br> ~ Disqualifying or minimizing the positive<br> ~ Questions<br> ~ Would you minimize this if it was your best friend’s experience?<br> ~ What is scary about accepting the positive?<br> ~ Sometimes we disqualify the positive because it fails to meet someone else’s standards, might that be true here?<br> ~ Availability Heuristic: Remembering what is most prominent in your mind<br> ~ Questions<br> ~ What are the facts</p> <p>Thinking Errors & Interventions<br> ~ Egocentrism– My perspective is the only perspective<br> ~ Qu</p>
