Cognitive Distortions: How to Stop Believing the Lies Your Brain Tells You

Summary

In this video, Dr. Tracey Marks explores cognitive distortions, common thought patterns that can negatively affect mental health, such as catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, mind reading, and personalization. She explains how these distortions can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety, especially when our brains misinterpret situations. Dr. Marks introduces a technique called the 'evidence check' to help viewers evaluate and challenge these distorted thoughts, leading to more balanced, realistic thinking. The video encourages practicing mindfulness and self-compassion to rewire these patterns, fostering greater resilience and mental clarity.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Many distressing thoughts come from cognitive distortions—mental shortcuts that feel true but aren’t based in reality.
• 🚨 Under stress, the amygdala becomes hyper-alert and overrides rational thinking from the prefrontal cortex.
• 🔁 Repeated distorted thinking strengthens those neural pathways, but they can be rewired through repetition and practice.
• 😱 Catastrophizing leads you to jump to the worst possible outcome even when there’s little evidence.
• ⚫️ All-or-none thinking creates rigid black-and-white judgments that leave no room for nuance or mistakes.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Mind reading causes you to assume others are thinking negatively about you, even without any real evidence.
• 🎒 Personalization makes you take responsibility for things that are outside your control or not actually about you.
• 🔍 The ‘evidence check’—asking *What’s the evidence for this thought?*—helps separate facts from fear-driven assumptions.
• 💛 Self-compassion is essential when confronting distorted thoughts—your brain is trying to protect you, not punish you.
• 🧘 Mindfulness helps you notice thoughts without immediately believing or reacting to them.
• 📈 Neuroplasticity works through repetition, so regularly fact-checking thoughts builds stronger, more balanced thinking patterns.
• 🌱 You can’t control every thought that appears, but you *can* choose whether to believe it, question it, or rewrite it.

Q & A

What is the core idea of this video?

The video discusses how cognitive distortions, such as catastrophizing and mind reading, can negatively affect mental health. It explains how these distortions can be identified and re-wired to build mental resilience. Dr. Tracey Marks introduces techniques like 'evidence checking' to help challenge distorted thoughts and develop healthier thinking patterns.

What are cognitive distortions?

Cognitive distortions are biased, often negative thought patterns that distort reality. They include habits like jumping to the worst conclusions, all-or-nothing thinking, mind reading, and taking responsibility for things that aren't your fault. These patterns are automatic and inaccurate but feel true in the moment.

How do cognitive distortions impact mental health?

Cognitive distortions can lead to unnecessary distress, anxiety, and depression. They create a distorted version of reality that can overwhelm a person’s ability to think clearly and rationally, often making situations seem worse than they actually are.

Why does the brain create these distorted thoughts?

The brain creates these distorted thoughts because it's designed to be efficient, relying on shortcuts to process information quickly, especially under stress. These shortcuts aren't always accurate and can lead to inaccurate interpretations, particularly when the amygdala, the brain's alarm center, is activated during stressful situations.

What happens in the brain when we experience stress or uncertainty?

When stress or uncertainty occurs, the amygdala becomes active, scanning for potential threats. This part of the brain prioritizes caution and may overreact to benign situations, causing distorted thinking. Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for rational thinking, gets overridden.

What is 'neuroplasticity' and how does it relate to cognitive distortions?

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to form new neural connections and strengthen or weaken existing ones based on experience. Cognitive distortions get reinforced through repetition, making them easier to access in future stressful situations. However, these patterns can also be rewired with consistent practice and conscious effort.

What is catastrophizing, and how can it be avoided?

Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion where the mind jumps to the worst possible outcome in a situation. It can be avoided by practicing mindfulness and evidence checking, which involves pausing to examine the actual evidence supporting or contradicting the worst-case scenario.

What is the 'evidence check' technique?

The evidence check involves pausing when you feel anxious or overwhelmed by a thought, and asking yourself what facts support or contradict the thought. It helps you separate real problems from imagined ones and reframe negative thinking with a more balanced, realistic perspective.

What role does self-compassion play in challenging cognitive distortions?

Self-compassion is important because it allows you to acknowledge cognitive distortions without judgment. Instead of criticizing yourself for having distorted thoughts, you can recognize that your brain is simply trying to protect you, and gently redirect your thinking without shame or guilt.

How can mindfulness help in managing distorted thoughts?

Mindfulness helps by allowing you to notice your thoughts without immediately getting caught up in them. It enables you to step back and assess whether those thoughts are helpful or accurate, which is essential for implementing techniques like the evidence check and reducing the power of cognitive distortions.