Unhealthy thinking patterns

Definition

Unhealthy thinking patterns refer to negative or irrational thoughts that can contribute to psychological distress and unhealthy behaviors. These patterns often involve distorted thinking, such as jumping to conclusions, overgeneralizing, or catastrophizing.

Related terms

Cognitive Distortions:

These are specific types of unhealthy thinking patterns that involve cognitive biases or distortions in perception and interpretation.

Cognitive Restructuring:

This therapeutic technique aims to identify and challenge unhealthy thinking patterns by replacing them with more rational and positive thoughts.

Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs): ANTs refer to the automatic negative thoughts that arise from unhealthy thinking patterns. They can be identified and challenged through therapy techniques like cognitive restructuring.