Anxiety: 8 Examples of ALL-OR-NONE thinking

Anxiety: 8 Examples of ALL-OR-NONE thinking

Written By

Aditya Shukla, Psychologist, Cognition Today

... it's all good or all bad.

All-or-none thinking (also called black/white thinking) is an automatic negative thought pattern in anxiety. It causes functional problems in daily life.

Relationships

“If you forget our anniversary once, you don’t truly love me.”

1

Break-ups

“If we argue about something, it means our relationship is doomed.”

2

Exams/Studying

“If I don’t get an A on this test, I’m a complete failure.”

3

Aptitude

“If I can’t understand one concept, I’m not cut out for this subject.”

4

Toxic productivity

“If I take a short break, I’m unproductive and wasting time.”

5

Social anxiety

“If someone cancels plans, they’re avoiding me purposely.”

6

Social validation

“If I’m not always witty, people find me boring and uninteresting.”

1

7

Attitudes

"If you aren't on my side, you are against me and you are the problem."

1

8