The tendency to think in extremes makes it difficult for a person to see the “gray area” and can lead them to view the relationship as either perfect or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, horrible. Sometimes people with thought distortions use dichotomous thinking, which means viewing a situation as either entirely negative or entirely positive. Related Reading: How To Beat Catastrophizing in a Relationship 4. Someone who catastrophizes may view a minor disagreement as the “end of the world” and then convince themselves that the relationship is over. One of the worst cognitive distortions in relationships is catastrophizing, which is the tendency to assume the worst. People who overgeneralize assume that because they had one bad experience during a specific situation, they will always have bad experiences with that situation in the future.įor instance, if a trip with a significant other goes poorly, they assume that all vacations are doomed to be a miserable experience. This type of cognitive distortion in relationships can create damage because a person may begin to fixate on their partner’s negative qualities while ignoring the positives. This cognitive distortion occurs when people selectively focus on the negative aspects of a situation while ignoring the positives. It may sound fancy, but selective abstraction is pretty simple. Related Reading: 30 Common Relationship Problems and Solutions 1. Below, learn about different types of cognitive distortions and how negative thinking affects relationships. 15 cognitive distortion types that ruin relationshipsĬognitive distortions can lead to problems within relationships, but different cognitive distortion types exist. If our parents display irrational thinking patterns, we may develop similar thought processes. We develop an understanding of the world based upon interactions with the adults in our lives. People exposed to chronic stress during childhood due to abuse, poverty, or trauma may develop cognitive distortions in relationships because irrational thinking patterns follow them into adulthood.įinally, critical thinking errors may be learned during childhood. Experts have argued that thought distortions occur during times of stress and lead to dysfunctional thinking patterns. Irrational thinking patterns linked to mental health conditions can make their way into relationships and begin to create distress, but this is not the only cause of cognitive distortions. So, what causes cognitive distortions? There isn’t one single cause of these critical thinking errors, but several factors can lead to distorted thoughts.įor instance, cognitive distortions in relationships may result from mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Causes of cognitive distortions in relationships In relationships, these thought distortions can cause a person to view their partner and their relationship negatively most of the time, leading to a relationship breakdown. Over time, cognitive distortions negatively cause a person to view neutral or even positive events, leading to negative emotions like depression, irritability, and anxiety. When a person’s core beliefs are negatively biased, they develop cognitive distortions that change their entire way of viewing situations. These cognitive distortions occur because of people’s automatic thoughts in response to an event.Īutomatic thoughts are related to people’s core beliefs about the world and themselves. What are cognitive distortions?Ĭognitive distortions are irrational thinking patterns that can lead to depression and other mental health problems. Here, learn about cognitive distortions in relationships to identify specific thinking patterns that may be harming your marriage or partnership. These distortions lead to unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving, which can ruin a relationship if they continue. Cognitive distortions can interfere with several areas of life, and they can also have a negative influence on relationships.
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