Inasmuch as human beings endear to live rational and mentally-upright lives, certain thoughts and distortions may take toll on their mental health leading to depression. As ascertained in table 13, most cognitive distortions are as a result of errors in thinking that escalate when the affected individuals fail to recognize their existence thus leading to a damaging situation. It is imperative to acknowledge that most of the highlighted patterns of thinking are common in many people but the ability to modify and change the perceptions about one-self, the people an individual interacts with and their surroundings determine the success factor in avoiding depression in its entirety.
Some of the cognitive distortions may affect the typical emotional and behavioral reactions in an individual’s day-to-day-life. For instance, an individual affected by the “all-or-nothing thinking” may fail to understand the realms of the events because they focus on two extremes only; the good or the bad. You can either pass an exam well or become a total failure. The “Misplaced blame” thinking may lead to suicidal thoughts because the affected person focuses on self-blame even for mistakes that occur outside their control. Moreover, “negative focusing” affects an individuals’ ability to measure their success because they focus mostly on the failures an endeavor that leads to lack of self-esteem and reduced self-confidence. The “catastrophizing thinking’ affects people negatively in that any negative event that happens in their life appears to be the worst possible outcome in their life. As a result, they may end up giving up in life thus increasing their chances of stress and depression; a perfect example is when one fails in a relationship may think that they have ruined their entire life and they have ruined their entire chance of getting married. Other effects of cognitive distortions include; increased chances of anger, low self-esteem, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, anxiety and despair.
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There are numerous ways that the affected individuals can use to replace negative thinking patterns with healthier and more productive alternatives. For instance, one can learn to avoid the black and white thinking by focusing on thinking in shades of gray. It is also advisable for the affected to consider the cost-benefit method of thinking whereby they weigh the advantages and disadvantages of having a particular feeling, perception or thought. In addition, re-attribution can be effective in dealing with ‘misplaced blame’ and ‘negative focusing’ cognitive distortions. Finally, it is imperative to highlight that cognitive distortions can be effectively changed by going through a cognitive restructuring process.
