STINKIN’ THINKIN’ (also known as Cognitive Distortions)

 

1-     All-or-Nothing Thinking: When you see things in black or white categories (without shades of gray). If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure.

 

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ - I need to keep my blood sugar perfect.

Smart Thinking  - I try to keep my blood sugars within a target range and feel good about successful control.

 

2-   Mental Filter: When you pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively, missing the “big picture”.

 

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ - My blood sugar after dinner was over 200. (Worry, worry.)

Smart Thinking  - In general (“the big picture”), I am able to keep my blood sugars within a target range after dinner, and my A1c stays under 7.0.

 

3-     “Should” Statements: When you direct “should” and “shouldn’t” statements towards others, you feel anger, frustration, and resentment.

 

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ - My family should not eat ice cream in front of me.  I feel angry that I can’t have any.

Smart Thinking - My family can eat ice cream in front of me. They have a right to eat and enjoy it. I don’t have to feel angry because I can choose to eat a little also.

 

4-     “Must” Statements: (A subset of “should” statements.)  When you motivate yourself with “musts”, the emotional consequence is guilt.

 

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ - I must exercise for one hour every day, or else I’m a bad diabetic.

Smart Thinking -  I will try to make time to exercise every day. I will do the best that I can and be proud of what I can do.

 

  

5-     Overgeneralization:  When you see a single negative event as a never ending pattern.

 

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ - I forgot to take my medication, once, but I’m sure I must have Alzheimer’s disease.

Smart Thinking – I forgot to take my medication, once.  It doesn’t mean I have Alzheimer’s disease. 

 

6-     Labeling and Mislabeling: (An extreme form of overgeneralization.)  When you describe an error you made and you attach a negative label to yourself.

 

Stinkin’ Thinkin' – I forgot to take my medication, once.  I’m such a dope!

Smart Thinking – I forgot to take my medication, once. Everybody forgets things once in a while.  I’m only human. 

 

7-     Jumping to Conclusions: When you make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts that support your conclusions.

a-  Mind Reading: When you arbitrarily conclude that someone is reacting negatively to you, and you don’t bother to check it out.

 Stinkin’ Thinkin' – My doctor thinks I don’t care about my diabetes management and he doesn’t like me.

Smart Thinking  - It doesn’t matter if my doctor likes me.  I need to communicate with my doctor that I care about my diabetes management.

 

b- The Fortune-Teller Error: When you anticipate that things will turn out badly, and you feel convinced that your predictions are an already established fact.

 

Stinkin’ Thinkin' – I know my A1C will be too high, because it always is.

Smart Thinking – I will wait and see what my A1C is, and try not to predict what it will be