Recognizing Cognitive Distortions That Lead to Relapse

Beginning

Let’s be honest: getting better isn’t only about not drinking. It’s also about being aware of how you think, how your mind fools you, and how that patterns of thought can lead you back to using drugs or alcohol. Being aware of cognitive distortions that can cause you to relapse provides you a big advantage in staying steady.

We’ve seen at Inspire Recovery Center how bad thinking may get in the way of development. The good news is that you can catch those thoughts early, label them, and move on to better ones.

What Are Cognitive Distortions?

Cognitive distortions are like broken brain filters that make you think in ways that are too extreme, not helpful, or just not true. They come in without notice and feel quite normal. The point is, drugs change how you feel and how you act. That means they can immediately lead to choices that put your sobriety at risk when you’re in treatment. NIH | SAMHSA

You can say to yourself, “I made a mistake one day, so I’ll always make mistakes.” That’s an all-or-nothing kind of thinking, and it’s harmful because it doesn’t take into account all the days you stayed sober.

Why They Are Important for Recovery

The truth is that relapse doesn’t usually happen all of a sudden. It usually starts with a thinking like “One drink won’t hurt” or “I’m different now, I can handle it.” These ideas emerge from thinking that isn’t clear. A study indicated that relapse happens when people can’t handle cognitive distortions and cues.

When you don’t check your thoughts, your feelings go out of control and your choices become dangerous. Your mind is where the conflict takes place. Being aware of those distortions helps you get back in charge before you act on an impulse.

Things to Look Out For in Your Thinking

Here are some common mistakes people make when trying to recover from addiction and why they are important.

Thinking in all-or-nothing terms

You are either completely sober or you are a failure. You either did everything properly or you didn’t do anything. That kind of thinking makes you feel worse when you mess up because it negates all the progress you’ve made. Psych Central

Reading Minds

You think you know what other people think, feel, or want. For example, “People will think I’m boring if I don’t drink.” That kind of thinking can make you want to use again. American Psychological Association

Making things worse

You think the worst will happen and act like it will happen. “If I’m stressed today, I’ll go back to my old ways tomorrow.” That story typically takes you there.

Filtering out the good things

You just pay attention to what seems wrong and dismiss signs of recovery. You don’t pay attention to something nice that happens. This distortion takes away your hope. Psychology Today

How to Get Them and Change Them

Changing the way you think is part of the road to recovery. These procedures can help you get out of traps of thought and onto more stable ground.

• Stop and pay attention to a strong feeling or need.
• What thinking just made this happen?
• Find the distortion. Which one above fits?
• Ask it questions like this to test it:
  • “Is this really true 100% of the time?”
  • “Am I ignoring proof that I’m doing fine?”
  • “How would I talk to a friend who felt this way?”
• Change the negative thinking to something that is true and kind.

You train your thinking again over time. You make behaviors that help you get better instead of hurt you.

Making It Happen at Home

Here are some ways to do this in real life:

• Write down a “trap thought” you had not long ago. Make a second column for the type of distortion. Then write a third column with a healthier notion that you wish to work on instead.
• When you want something, ask yourself, “What distortion is going on right now?” Then say, “I might be reading your mind, or I might be filtering out the good.”
• Give it to a group or a sponsor. When you talk about what you’re thinking, it loses potency.
• Make a picture to help you remember. Put a note up that says “Thought ≠ fact” where you’ll see it. Then you’ll remember to challenge your thoughts when they come up.

Final Thoughts

It’s not simply what you do that matters in recovery; it’s also how you think. Being able to spot cognitive distortions that lead to relapse helps you detect risk early on. It lets you speak again. When you feel the want to follow an old pattern, stop, think about it, and make an alternative choice.

At Inspire Recovery Center, we want to help you not only get sober, but also change the way you think so that you can live a completely new life. You can do this, one thought at a time.