What is the role of cognitive distortions in anxiety disorders and examples?

• A. Cognitive distortions such as catastrophizing, overgeneralization, and mind-reading escalate worry; CBT targets these to reduce anxiety.
• B. Distortions are always accurate risk assessments.
• C. Distortions refer to memory lapses only.
• D. Cognitive distortions are unrelated to worry.

Answer: (A)

Cognitive distortions are biased ways of thinking that make threats seem bigger and more imminent than they are, which keeps anxiety going. They escalate worry by creating exaggerated predictions about danger and by drawing sweeping conclusions from limited evidence. For example, catastrophizing imagines the worst possible outcome as almost certain; overgeneralization takes one negative event and applies it to all similar situations; mind-reading assumes you know what others are thinking about you, usually in a negative way. These patterns help anxiety persist by fueling fear and avoidance, so addressing them directly can reduce symptoms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy targets distortions by helping you identify them, test their accuracy with evidence, and replace them with more balanced interpretations, often through thought records and behavioral experiments.