As we continue our series on cognitive distortions, let’s take a look at one that can cause major problems: emotional reasoning. You’ve heard the term “trust your gut.” Well, this isn’t a one size fits all term. Life is a little more complicated to navigate than this saying portrays it to be. Emotional reasoning can alter a person’s perception negatively, leading them to make poor…
What’s the difference between being a recovered alcoholic and a recovering alcoholic? We hear it all the time in AA. I’m a recovered alcoholic or recovered addict. I’m a recovering alcoholic or recovering addict. But what does that mean? Why do we say it? Recovering Alcoholic vs Recovered Alcoholic — Recovered = No More Pain Being recovered means that I don’t suffer anymore. I no longer…
Mental filtering is thinking in a distorted way over any considerable amount of time, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and even drug addiction. People struggling with addiction usually are dealing with some sort of mental illness. Whether it’s bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, or major depressive disorder (to name a few), those of us suffering from co-occurring disorders have a lot to overcome if we…
Rigid boundaries are anything that marks a border in your life that you’re not willing to make any changes to or allow anyone to cross no matter what. Boundaries exist regardless of whether or not the line is real or imagined. Rigid personal boundaries are limits, guidelines, or rules a person creates in order to identify safe and reasonable ways for other people to behave…
Self-sabotage and addiction is an interesting subject. You’d think all of us would be our own greatest advocate, only taking action to better ourselves and achieve things in our lives. However, more often than not, we are our own worst enemies and engage in self-sabotaging behavior. We get in our own way, and many times, we aren’t even aware of it. The first step is…
Discounting the positive is a cognitive distortion where you never give credit to yourself for positive things and see yourself as only negative. Essentially, you’re taking positive experiences and either making them negative or saying they “don’t count” for some reason that usually has no basis in reality. “Cognitive distortion” is a term used for beliefs (that are not based on the truth) that lead…
Tramadol is an opioid painkiller with a lot of abuse potential, which means that Tramadol withdrawal can be similar to withdrawal from any other opioid, like OxyContin or even heroin. Tramadol is labeled as a Schedule IV controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). I have been prescribed this medication for long periods of time while going through a rotator cuff injury. Although I…
This is the 2nd article in our cognitive distortion series, which will address the cognitive distortion personalization as it pertains to addiction. (If you haven’t yet, check out the first article on overgeneralization.) Probably 90% of addicts have a negative internal dialogue. Chances are that if you’re reading this, you or someone you know is an addict (I use the word addict as a term…
High-functioning bipolar disorder means a person is living with bipolar disorder but is still able to live a normal life, usually through the use of medication and some form of therapy, like Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Diagnosing a mental health disorder can be a complicated process. Many people go their entire lives with an untreated mental health disorder and miss out on the freedom that can…
Overgeneralization is a type of thinking that emerged from a single event; this thinking is then applied to all similar events, especially ones in the future. Perhaps you had to give a big speech at your job or college graduation. Both you and the people around may think that you gave an absolutely horrendous speech. Big deal, right? In this example, overgeneralization might look like,…