6 Cognitive Distortions That Fuel Anxiety in ADHD Brains (original) (raw)

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What Are Cognitive Distortions?

Cognitive distortions are biased, irrational, and often automatic thoughts that trigger and amplify anxiety and negative thinking. These unhelpful thought patterns matter because our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all linked. When you view events, situations, and yourself through a negative lens, that shapes how you move through the world — and not for the better.

Developing healthier, more balanced thinking patterns starts with awareness of the many types of cognitive distortions and then questioning these negative thoughts.

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Catastrophizing

Catastrophizing is when you assume that a situation will go terribly, even if the worst-case scenario is unlikely. It may cause you to exaggerate the probability and weight of mistakes and other negative aspects of situations.

Catastrophizing Example

You have an important presentation tomorrow. Instead of thinking, "I'll prepare tonight and do my best," you think, "What if I forget everything? I'll mess up so badly that my boss will think I'm incompetent. I'll probably lose my job, and then I won't be able to pay my bills. I'll end up ruining my career."

In this case, a single event (the presentation) spirals into an imagined catastrophe (losing your job and ruining your career).

An illustration of a woman who is nervous. Emotional reasoning is a type of cognitive distortion.

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Emotional Reasoning

Emotional reasoning is when you believe that your negative emotions about a situation reflect reality, even when there is no evidence to support it. You think, “I’m feeling bad, therefore, something bad must be happening.” It’s a cognitive distortion that overwhelms rational reasoning.

Emotional Reasoning Example

You text a friend and don’t get a reply for a few hours. You think, "I'm feeling so anxious about this — it must mean they’re upset with me. Maybe I said something wrong, and now they don’t want to talk to me anymore."

The anxiety about the delayed response leads to assuming there’s a problem, even though it might just be a busy day for the friend.

[Read: Why Do I Assume the Worst-Case Scenario?]

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Overgeneralizing

Overgeneralizing is when you take a single negative event or experience and apply it to all situations. You view one negative event as a never-ending defeat and an indicator of your inability to succeed as opposed to what it is: a single negative event that doesn’t define you.

Overgeneralizing Example

You forget to pay a bill on time. You think, "I can never stay on top of things. I’m completely irresponsible and disorganized. I’ll never be able to manage my life properly."

Here, a single instance of forgetting is generalized to mean that you are entirely disorganized and incapable of managing your life.

An illustration of a woman who is examining a paper using a magnifying glass. The image represents the concept of mental filtering, a type of cognitive distortion.

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Mental Filtering

When you pick out a single negative detail of a situation and obsess over it (as opposed to looking at the bigger picture or even the positives), you are engaging in mental filtering.

Mental Filtering Example

You receive feedback on a project where your supervisor praises several aspects of your work but also suggests improvements. Instead of focusing on the positive feedback, you think, "I can’t believe they pointed out that mistake. I always mess things up. They probably think I’m incompetent."

Here, the focus is only on the critical part, filtering out the compliments or areas of success.

An illustration of sticky notes with words like "lazy," "awkward," and "not good enough" on them. Labeling is a type of cognitive distortion.

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Labeling

Labeling happens when you see yourself, others, and events in completely negative and simplistic terms (e.g., “stupid,” “worthless,” “hopeless”). When your impulse is to classify yourself or others, there’s no room for the type of nuance that allows for a way forward, essentially rendering you stuck.

Labeling Example

You fumble your words during a conversation with someone new. Instead of acknowledging that everyone has awkward moments, you think, "I'm so socially awkward. I'm terrible at making friends."

In this case, you're labeling yourself as "awkward" based on one interaction, rather than viewing it as just a slip-up.

[Read: Silence Your Harshest Critic — Yourself]

An illustration of a crystal ball on top of a table. The image represents fortune telling as it relates to cognitive distortions.

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Fortune Telling

Fortune telling is when you predict a negative outcome without having any real evidence to support your conclusion. No one can look into the future and predict with certainty what will happen.

Fortune Telling Example

You’ve just started dating someone and haven’t heard back from them after texting. You think, "They probably don’t like me anymore. This is going to end just like all my other relationships. I’m going to be single forever."

In this case, you’re predicting that one delay in communication means the relationship is doomed, even though there’s no evidence of that.

An illustration of a pensive woman trying to practice positive thinking to overcome cognitive distortions.

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Cognitive Distortions: How to Escape Negative Thinking

1. Connect with your body. If anxious thoughts and negative thinking tend to sweep you away, bring yourself down — with breathwork, mindfulness, a walk, or any other grounding activity. Calming your mind first is essential before you can challenge anxious thoughts.

2. Identify the distortion. As you acknowledge your thoughts and feelings, consider if you’re engaging in the unhelpful thought patterns listed above.

3. What’s the evidence? Question the validity of your thoughts. Ask yourself:

4. Focus on what you can control. Ask, "What can I do right now to improve this situation?" Instead of ruminating or being pessimistic, take steps to prepare or problem-solve, no matter how small. Commit to positive action, and don’t be so hard on yourself.

Cognitive Distortions: Next Steps

The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “The Journey to Independence: A Parent’s Guide to Delayed Adulthood with ADHD” [Video Replay & Podcast #503] with Anthony Rostain, M.D., M.A., which was broadcast on May 1, 2024.

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