Assuming:

We assume the worst without testing the evidence. “You are angry at me.”

Shoulds(Musts/Oughts):

Demands that we make of ourselves. “I should have known better.”

The Fairy-Tale Fantasy:

Demanding the ideal from life. A special type of “should.” “The world shouldn’t be this way.”

All or Nothing Thinking:

Seeing everything in black or white. “If I’m not performing than I am a failure.”

Overgeneralizing:

Deciding that negative experiences describe your life completely. Using words like “always, never, no one,”etc. “I always ruin everyting.”

Labeling/Mislabeling:

Creating a personal negative identity based on prior mistakes. “I’m stupid.”

Dwelling on the Negative:

Focusing attention on the negative. “How can I feel good today when I was criticized.”

Rejecting the Positive:

Overlooks the positive aspects of a situation. “It was nothing, anyone can do it.”

Unfavorable Comparisons:

Magnify your faults and minimize strengths. “Oh,  I’m only a house wife, Jane is a rich, brilliant attorney.”

Catastrophizing:

Expecting the worst to happen. “If you leave me I am going to die.”

Personalizing:

Making events personally meaningful to me. “It’s all my fault.”

Blaming:

Blaming is the opposite of personalizing. Blaming other people/situations and not taking responsibility for my part. “She has ruined my life.”

Making Feelings Facts:

Taking our feelings as proof of the way things really are. “I feel worthless. I must be worthless.”