What are examples of cognitive distortions?
• Personalization – The addict feels responsible for an event or situation that is entirely out of their control. For example, an addict may look for ways to blame themselves for being raped many years ago or for being laid off at work. In reality, these situations occurred because of extraneous factors that were in no way related to their behavior or decisions. • Emotional Reasoning – When someone uses emotional reasoning, they create an understanding of a situation based strictly on how they feel. For example, guilt may lead an addict to feel “unworthy of love” and may lead them to believe that they actually are unworthy of love. They may feel stupid for saying something inappropriate and then believe that they actually are stupid. Unfortunately, negative feelings are often the result of negative thoughts. People who use emotional reasoning can enter into a self-destructive loop of negative thoughts and feelings that feed off each other and decrease the individual’s feelings of self-
