from Hacker News

Cognitive Distortion

by ptwobrussell on 5/5/15, 6:43 PM with 29 comments

  • by Cantremeber on 5/5/15, 8:21 PM

    The funnest thing about these is how quietly and slowly they creep on. It may start with putting off a few things but then one day you realize you haven't showered because you feel like you don't have enough time for it.
  • by beermann on 5/5/15, 8:57 PM

    Sorry for the obligatory, somewhat self-serving post. Our startup, Pacifica (http://thinkpacifica.com), focuses on a few tools that help people identify these cognitive distortions. Specifically, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy defines a cycle relating how your thoughts affect your feelings, behaviors, and physical wellbeing (as a fully connected bidirectional graph). Understanding how your thoughts are distorted can better prepare you for the next time they crop up, helping you step outside this cycle. In many cases CBT has been shown to be as effective as psychiatric drugs in the short term, and even more effective in the long term as it helps people focus on the source of their anxieties. We're trying to take these same tools, proven in clinical practices all over the world, and apply them to a much broader audience.
  • by tvmalsv on 5/5/15, 9:12 PM

    The topic is also covered pretty well in the book "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" by David D. Burns. I think it helps to recognize or understand some of these behaviors when there's someone in your life that has these kind of thoughts.
  • by soneca on 5/5/15, 8:53 PM

    I was shocked when I saw this on people suffering from anorexia nervosa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorexia_nervosa).

    They have an obviously unhealthly thin figure (weighting as low as 35kg), and when they see themselves on the mirror, they affirm they are fat.

  • by jdorfman on 5/5/15, 9:30 PM

    I recently finished a Partial Hospitalization Program that taught techniques to battle distorted/irrational thinking. In the past I would just rely on my medication but this time I had to meet the meds half way. Without Cognitive Behavioral Therapy I would be in serious trouble (or dead). If someone here knows anyone who is suffering from a mental illness; this therapy could really help them get back on their feet.
  • by parallel on 5/5/15, 11:48 PM

    I can't remember where I read this but it reminds me of the quote "You've only ever experienced on thing; your own mind".