Typologies of negative self-talk

Negative internal dialogue is not monolithic; it takes various forms or distorted thought patterns that contribute to emotional distress.

Identifying these specific categories of negative self-talk is useful in order to recognize them when they arise and begin to question their validity.

Magnification

Magnification consists of taking a relatively small problem or error and exaggerating its importance or consequences into something much larger and more serious than it really is.

For example, if a person arrives late to a meeting and the meeting starts without them, they might magnify the event by thinking, "This is going to make me look like an idiot, and I'm sure they won't invite me to future meetings."

An isolated incident is taken as an isolated incident and disproportionate repercussions are attributed to it.

Polarization (Black or White Thinking)

Polarization, also known as all-or-nothing thinking, implies seeing things in absolute and extreme terms, without admitting nuances or intermediate points.

A situation is either good or bad, a total success or an absolute failure.

Following the above example of being late for an important meeting, a person with polarized thinking might conclude, "I am the worst employee ever." There is no room for a more balanced assessment.

Catastrophization

Catastrophic thinking is characterized by three elements: first, it overestimates the dire consequences of an event; second, it exaggerates how dire those consequences would actually be if they were to occur; and third, it underestimates one's own ability or available resources to cope with them.

It is the tendency to always expect the worst-case scenario and to feel unable to handle it.

For example, "If my boss wants to meet with me, it surely means I'm going to get fired (overestimation of the event); if I get fired, it will be horrible (exaggeration of consequences); and I won't be able to take it or find