Social Anxiety Disorder Thought Patterns to Avoid

Negative thinking styles are thought patterns that can lead to negative emotions and behaviors. People with social anxiety disorder (SAD) often experience these negative thought patterns.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to identify and change these unhelpful thought patterns. As part of CBT, you will explore the feelings associated with these thought patterns and develop new, more helpful ways of thinking.

Here are ten examples of thought patterns that can contribute to social anxiety:

1. Catastrophizing:

   This involves expecting the worst possible outcome, even when there is no evidence to support this belief. For instance, you might think, "If I go to that party, I'll make a fool of myself and everyone will laugh at me."

2. Mind Reading:

   This involves believing that you know what other people are thinking, even though you don't have any evidence to support this belief. For instance, you might think, "That person is looking at me. They must think I'm weird."

3. Fortune-Telling:

   This involves predicting that something bad will happen in the future, even though there is no evidence to support this belief. For instance, you might think, "I'm going to fail that test. I just know it."

4. Labeling:

   This involves labeling yourself or others with negative terms. For instance, you might think, "I'm a loser" or "She's a jerk".

5. Personalization:

   This involves taking things personally, even when they're not meant that way. For instance, you might think, "That person didn't say hello to me. They must not like me."

6. Black-and-White Thinking:

   This involves seeing things in only two extremes, with no shades of gray. For instance, you might think, "I'm either a success or a failure."

7. All-or-Nothing Thinking:

   This involves believing that something has to be perfect or else it's not worth doing. For instance, you might think, "I have to get an A on this test, or else I'm a failure."

8. Emotional Reasoning:

   This involves believing that your emotions are always true and accurate. For instance, you might think, "I feel anxious, so I must be in danger."

9. Overgeneralization:

   This involves making a general statement based on one or two isolated incidents. For instance, you might think, "I always make a fool of myself when I talk to new people."

10. Should Statements:

    This involves telling yourself what you should or shouldn't do, even when there is no evidence to support this belief. For instance, you might think, "I should never make mistakes."

If you find yourself engaging in these types of thought patterns, it's essential to remember that they are just thoughts and don't necessarily reflect reality. With the help of a therapist, you can learn to identify these thought patterns and develop more helpful ways of thinking.