Two more cognitive distortions for today 🎉!

-Overgeneralization- This is where we come to a big conclusion based on a single piece of evidence. Something bad may only happen once, but we expect it to happen over and over again. An example of this might be if someone were to go on a bad online date 💕- maybe they believe alllll online dating is bad and avoid ever using a dating app again.

-Mind reading- 🔮This one is common with people experiencing social anxiety and other fears too! This is where we feel like we know or can predict what others might be thinking, feeling, or why they’re behaving in a certain way with no evidence to suggest that this is true. I hear this all the time with statements like “my friends are avoiding me” or “everyone thinks I’m weird”.

Are you guilty of any of these distortions? I know I am! Please share!

Awesome anxiety art by #annaborges

therapist, portland, mental health, counselingEmelie DouglasSeptember 19, 2018cognitive distortions, cbt, copingskills, cognitive therapyComment

don’t believe everything you think!

Let’s talk anxiety. I believe anxiety in part comes from our attachment to believing everything we think is true. Just because a thought feels true doesn’t make it true.

The average person thinks between 50,000-70,000 thoughts per day. In the moment, our thinking seems logical, but when we start looking more critically at the content of our thoughts, we notice thinking errors- therapists call these cognitive distortions. We tend to believe many of our thoughts- but we are not our thoughts.

I love this idea: “You are the consciousness (the ocean) from which your thoughts (the waves) arise.”

Here’s your goal:

1) Be the observer. Listen to your thoughts without judgement! Practice mindfulness.

2) Train your brain. Say goodbye to thoughts your don’t like. Decrease your attachment that your feelings are true!

For more help with anxiety, contact me!

mental health, therapist, counselingEmelie DouglasAugust 9, 2018bpdproblems, copingskills, dbtskills, abusesurvivor, bekindtoyourself, cityofportland, anxiety, depressionhelp, beinghuman, borderlinepersonalitydisorder, anxietydisorder, bodypositivity, dailymeditation, compassion, anxietysucks, calming, bipolardepression, depressionquotes, anxietyrelief, depression, depressionmemes, authenticity, cbt, counselor, anxietyawareness, anxietyquote, anxietyquotes, believeinyourself, depressionawareness, anxious, bipolardisorder, bpd, awareness, childhoodtrauma, anxietymemes, dbt, counseling, anxietyhelp, anxietyattack, anxietymeme, breakthestigma, depressionrecovery, anxietysupport, anxietyrecovery, depressionsupport, anxietywarrior, dailyinspiration, depressionquote, bipolardisorderawareness, coping, bipolarsupport, bipolarawarenessComment