5 Types Of Faulty Thoughts Caused By Depression That You Need To Kill Now
Hi Musers, I’ve talked a lot about depression on this page, how it has affected me, things I do to combat it, and even a mental health resource page to offer guidance. What I haven’t done is talk about the sort of faulty thinking you tend to develop when you have depression. These types of faulty thoughts caused by depression can greatly prolong a depressive period and even cause you to relapse when you’re feeling better. These are called cognitive distortions.
My Experience
Until I did a thorough self-inventory, I would have told you I learned about all of these cognitive distortions from watching my mother and stepfather. It’s true, they exhibited pretty much all of these, and now they’re in their sixties, I seriously doubt they’ll ever change. They’re my stark warning about what happens if you give in to your illness too completely.
I know that might sound both horrible and harsh, but I tried to help them, believe me. I researched depression, went to doctors appointments, psychiatrist appointments, encouraged them to take therapy seriously, cleaned the house, cooked, helped them create budgets, and so so many more things. None of it helped. Ever.
That’s why I was horrified when I recognised parts of their behaviour in me. Nothing could have been a bigger wake-up call.
You might think that once I recognised these cognitive distortions, all my attempts to help my parents would have made it easy to stamp them out. But, unfortunately, this is not the case.
You think you finally doused them in weed killer, yanked them out at the root, and got rid of them. Then another one pops up! It’s frustrating, but it’s life. There are no quick fixes. All you can do is keep doing the work.
Faulty Thoughts Caused By Depression
- All Or Nothing Thinking
Having depression is almost like having a Snapchat filter, but instead of being on your phone, it’s on your life. Your depression colours everything you see and do and think.
So, for example, you apply for a new job at work. You’re a strong candidate and have a great interview, but there is a stronger candidate, and you don’t get it. You think, ” Why do I bother? I always fail when I try to improve my life. I’ll never be any good at anything.
Do you recognise these thoughts? If so, you need to correct yourself every time you catch yourself thinking them. No one can be successful all the time; it’s not the way the world works. The difference between a depressed person and someone who isn’t is how they react.
Instead of spiralling into self-loathing, they’ll think, “ok, there was a stronger candidate this time. What can I do to strengthen these skills, so I’m ready for the next opportunity?”
In short, they aren’t flogging themselves and dwelling on the past. Instead, they’re already planning how to be successful in future.
2. The Negative Filter
Having a negative filter follows on from the all or nothing thinking. It’s been proven that people with depression tend to focus on negative things that happen to them and literally screen out the positive ones.
This means if you ever ask them how their day was, it will always have been terrible, even if it really wasn’t. Let’s give you an example.
You get up for work, leave the house, and your bus is exactly on time. You get a seat, which is unusual, and there’s not much of a queue at your favourite coffee shop when you stop to get breakfast.
Due to all these things, you get to work early and deliver a piece of work before it’s due. Your boss is pleased and congratulates you on how good it is when she sends it back for two small edits.
At lunchtime, you catch up with some work colleagues and have a nice chat. You accidentally knock over the last third of your drink. A worker in the cafe brings a cloth, and it’s cleaned up quickly. As you leave the cafe, a man holds open the door and smiles at you.
You have a productive afternoon, complete your whole to-do list, and even do a couple of things you planned to leave til the next day. Then, you leave work to head home, and your bus is five minutes late.
If this was you and your partner/mum/housemate asked you how your day went, what would you say? A person without depression would say it was good; only a couple of minor things went wrong.
A person with depression would say it was awful! I messed up a piece of work for my boss and had to redo it, I spilt my drink all over the table, and the whole cafe was thinking what an idiot I was and then my train home was late as usual!
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? It might be hard to understand if you aren’t depressed, but if you are, this is the way you tend to think.
If you’re struggling with this, think about keeping a notebook with you or using a notes app on your phone. Then, for a week, note down every good and bad thing that happens to each day.
At the end of each day, think back and decide if the day was good or bad. Then, take out your notebook, add up good versus bad things, and see which there were more of. I think you’ll find many of the bad days weren’t actually bad.
It’s a good start in rebooting your brain and reprogramming your thoughts.
3. Overgeneralisation
People with depression tend to make broad, sweeping statements that are clearly untrue, but they don’t see it that way. For example, your doctor persuades you to try anti-depressant medication. Unfortunately, you suffer from nausea and a temporary increase in anxiety, and you stop taking them after a few days.
From then on, you tell your doctor and anyone else who asks that medication makes you worse and has horrible side effects. This isn’t true, of course. There are lots of types of anti-depressants, and all have varying effects.
If this is you, question if what you’re thinking is actually true. The great thing about the internet is that there are a lot of facts if you choose to look for them.
4. Jumping To Conclusions
When you’re depressed, there’s a tendency to jump to conclusions, and they’re usually bad ones. So let’s say you plan to meet a friend for dinner. On the day of the dinner, she cancels because she’s not feeling well. Instead of just accepting this and wishing her “get well soon”, you jump to the conclusion she doesn’t like you.
There is no reason for this; you’ve been friends for a while and gone out lots of times. This is just the way depressed people tend to think. The fact is she may be ill, or having a really heavy period, or had a big row with her spouse, or a hundred other things that are nothing to do with you.
Try to remember this and definitely don’t make it a double whammy by combining it with point 3 and saying everyone always dislikes you, and you don’t know why you bother.
5. Catastrophising
This cognitive distortion is probably expected when you have depression, but it’s one you need to leave behind as quickly as possible. If something unexpected happens, does your mind always jump to the worst possible outcome?
Your manager invites you to a meeting unexpectedly, so you assume you’ve done something wrong and/or are being laid off.
Your significant other is quiet and withdrawn for a couple of days, and you become convinced they don’t love you anymore and are going to break up with you.
Your best friend is 20 minutes later meeting you when they’re never late. You’re convinced they’ve had a car crash or a terrible accident.
If you can’t stop yourself thinking this way initially, make a list when it strikes. Note down every reason this thing may have happened, including absolutely ridiculous ones to make you smile. It’ll help you see how silly you’re being, and you should gain some perspective.
Getting Help
If you even suspect you may be suffering from depression, please seek help. It will not go away on its own, and the longer you leave it, the longer it has to get its claws into you.
If you don’t think of yourself as someone with depression but recognise these faulty thoughts caused by depression as something you do, I would recommend totalling to your doctor.
Cognitive distortions are part of depression, so if you don’t have it now, it suggests you either have at some point or are sliding towards it. The quicker you can combat it then the better it is for you.
Here are some places you can go for help:
Conclusion
The effects of depression are far more than just feeling sad. Depression really can rewire your brain and the way you think. Without help, these faulty thoughts caused by depression can become permanent. That’s why I encourage you to reach out for help and try and reverse the process. It will make a massive difference to your life and your happiness. Take care til next time xx
Do you recognise these cognitive distortions or think there are ones I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments!
