Feelings...nothing more than feelings...

The next two cognitive distortions I would like to look at are “Jumping to conclusions” and “Magnification/Minimization.” Each of these distortions has subtypes. “Jumping to conclusions” has the subtypes of mind reading and fortune telling. “Magnification/Minimization” has the subtype of catastrophizing.
An example of jumping to conclusions and mind reading would be:
“I called in sick to work twice this week because of my pain. My co-workers must think I’m lazy and hate me for having to pick up the slack.”
A thought that might be more rational and healthier would be, “I will let my boss know the chronic nature of my illness and find out what I can do so I can do my share. I will also check in with my co-workers to ensure that I can cover what I missed.”
For fortune telling the thought might go along the lines of:
“I will lose my job for sure if I keep calling in sick!” Think about the feelings this thought would bring up. Anger at your body, fear of the future and for your income, helplessness over the situation.
A healthier thought would look like, “I will communicate with my boss to see what I can do to preserve my job, including getting a doctor’s note for accommodations if need be.” A thought like this is just as rational and real as the last thought, but gives the individual power and hope.
Magnification looks like this:
“This is the worst pain ever. Everyone else is out living their lives and being healthy and I am stuck at home and in pain.”
Well….actually there are lots of people out there with varying degrees of difficulty, pain and strife that they are dealing with. A thought like this can make a person feel physically worse and helpless. A healthier thought might be:
“This is difficult but I know I’m not the only human being who deals with adversity. I will also focus on positive things going on in my life right now such as….”
Many of these distortions are so automatic we don’t even challenge them as the truth when in fact they are not completely true. When we look at these distortions in a more balanced life we free ourselves from a self-imposed set of limitations and allow for more hope, health, and healing in our bodies and lives.
Here is a wonderful book from one of the founding fathers of cognitive behavioral therapy: