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Cognitive distortions are thought patterns that are harmful and untrue. For example, “I’m late, so my boss is going to fire me, which means I won’t be able to pay my mortgage, and I’ll lose the house,” is an example of catastrophizing. “I ate a cookie today, so I might as well stop working out and eating healthy until Monday again,” is an example of all-or-nothing thinking.
There are somewhere around 78 cognitive distortions. They are a part of many mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, grief, and more. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy model that is heavily researched and proven effective. It, among other things, focuses on identifying and changing these cognitive distortions.
For example, CBT may help you recognize that the thought “Everyone hates me” is untrue and, in fact, a “mind-reading” cognitive distortion. From there, you can replace that thought with something positive and true, or at least neutral and true. “I am a likable person,” for example. Or, even simpler, “It is not possible to tell what people are thinking of me. If they have a problem with me, they should talk to me about it.”
Overgeneralization is a common cognitive distortion. This article will focus on what it is, examples of overgeneralization, and how to stop this negative thinking pattern before it causes harm in your life.
What is Overgeneralization?
Put simply, overgeneralization is the belief that because an event occurred in the way it did, all similar events must occur that same way. For example, a child believing that they must hate all things green because they didn’t like the taste of broccoli.
These sorts of broad conclusions drawn from very limited evidence can become much more dangerous than simply not eating your veggies, however.
Overgeneralization is a core cognitive distortion of many fears, phobias, and stereotypes. Let’s look at some examples below.
Examples of Overgeneralization
Examples of overgeneralization include:
- A woman rear-ended me with her car once, so all women must be bad drivers.
- A dog bit me, so all dogs must be aggressive.
- I had a panic attack in a grocery store, so I’ll have another panic attack next time I go into a store.
- I failed one test, and now I believe that I will always fail everything.
- I made an awkward joke where nobody laughed. I’m always so awkward; I can never say anything right!
- A friend canceled plans, so now I assume that no one ever wants to hang out with me.
- After a breakup, I tell my friends, “I’m never going to find love!’
Overgeneralization tells you the lie that because something was one way once, it will always be that way, in all related scenarios. There is no room for second chances, for things to be better, or for you to grow and change. Instead, events are set in stone: something happened once, so it’ll happen again.
This is a very limiting lie! It makes sense why people who overgeneralize tend to be more anxious. When everything is doomed to follow the same pattern, there is no reason to try new things or keep an open mind. It is this closed mindset that lets other cognitive distortions and mental health issues fester.
Why Do People Overgeneralize?
People often generalize too much because our brains are designed to identify patterns and make quick judgments. This skill helps us learn from our experiences and identify dangerous situations. However, it can lead to distorted thinking if pushed too far. Here are some common reasons why people overgeneralize:
- Past negative experiences: Using one bad outcome to claim that all future situations will be the same.
- Cognitive shortcuts: The mind simplifies complex situations by forming broad conclusions.
- Low self-esteem: Fearing failure or rejection when confidence is low.
- Trauma or anxiety: The nervous system stays on alert, expecting harm or danger to happen again.
- Perfectionism: Seeing one mistake as proof of being completely inadequate.
- Negative core beliefs: Strong beliefs like "I’m not good enough" result in broad, limiting conclusions.
Mental health issues are also often at fault for overgeneralization and other cognitive distortions. For example, PTSD often takes the trauma someone endured and overgeneralizes it, so that the individual sees potential danger and harm in mundane, everyday situations. Anxiety takes a similar course. For example, people with agoraphobia may have experienced a very real and frightening panic attack in a grocery store. Because of overgeneralization, however, now they don’t go into any store out of fear of having another panic attack.
How to Stop Overgeneralizing
How do you stop a thought? It can be tricky, but start by taking these small steps.
- Identify the thought: That’s all you have to do for this first step. When you catch yourself thinking an over generalizing thought, simply note it. Don’t judge yourself for it.
- Challenge the thought: Try to replace the thought, or at least challenge it, with a neutral or positive thought. For example, “It might not be awful,” or “Just because it happened once doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.” You do not have to fully believe yourself at first! The goal of this type of therapy technique (a CBT technique) is to get used to challenging cognitive distortions and not treat them as an absolute fact.
- Use a coping mechanism to regulate your emotions and body: Deciding to ignore or challenge a cognitive distortion can cause a spike of anxiety, fear, or discomfort. Remember that overgeneralization occurs because our brain wants to keep us safe. It is trying to find patterns in the chaos, and ignoring it might set off some warning bells. Before you do anything else, take the time to calm your mind and body. Take some deep breaths, practice a somatic exercise, or go for a walk. Listening to soothing music or talking with a friend can also help.
- Act according to your values: Listening to your cognitive distortion will have you acting out based on your fears and emotions, and this can lead you down a path you don’t want to go. Instead, stop to consider how you would act if your values were steering the ship. In this situation, do you value courage, kindness, or community? Or maybe you’re working on standing up for yourself, saying no to bad habits, or saving money. What are the big goals and personal values that you want to stand by? How can you implement them into these decisions? Listen to those voices, and not the anxious ones of cognitive distortions.
- Talk to a therapist: It can be frustrating, exhausting, and outright terrifying to ignore the insistent voice in our head that everything is going to go horribly wrong. Often, things can feel like they get worse before they get better. A therapist can help with this. A good mental health therapist will help you untangle the mess of cognitive distortions in your thinking pattern, get to the root of the issue, and teach you helpful coping mechanisms to make the process more manageable.
If you’re interested in talking to a therapist about overgeneralization or any other cognitive distortion, Lifebulb Counseling is here for you. We have online and in-person therapists with open availability. We accept most major insurances. Contact our team to learn more or browse our list of therapists near you.
