The Big Guide to OCD Cognitive Biases

All-or-Nothing Thinking

This is when you see things as either perfect or terrible, with no middle ground. In OCD, someone might think, “If my hands aren’t perfectly clean, they’re absolutely dirty.”

Overgeneralization

This means thinking that if something bad happens once, it will always happen. With OCD, a person might think, “I made a mistake once, now I’ll always make mistakes.”

Mental Filter

This is when you only notice the bad stuff and ignore the good. Someone with OCD might focus only on the one thing they did wrong, not the 99 things they did right.

Disqualifying the Positive

This is when good things don’t count. For example, even if someone with OCD does something well, they might think it’s just a fluke or doesn’t matter.

Jumping to Conclusions

This can be thinking you know what will happen (predicting the future) or thinking you know what others are thinking (mind reading). In OCD, someone might think, “Everyone notices and judges how I do things.”

Magnification (Catastrophizing)

This is like using a ‘thinking telescope’ to make bad things seem way bigger or good things much smaller. In OCD, a small mistake might feel like a huge disaster.

Emotional Reasoning

This is when you think something must be true because of how you feel. Someone with OCD might think, “I feel anxious about germs, so the danger must be real.”

Should Statements

These are times when you tell yourself how things ‘should’ be. In OCD, there might be a lot of rules about how things ‘should’ be done.

Labeling and Mislabeling

This is when you give yourself a harsh label instead of seeing a mistake for just what it is. For example, someone with OCD might think, “I’m a bad person because I can’t control these thoughts.”

Personalization

This is thinking that things are your fault when they really aren’t. In OCD, someone might blame themselves for things they can’t control.

Control Fallacies

This is when you feel externally controlled or believe you have excessive control over others and events. In OCD, a person might feel completely controlled by their routines or rituals.

Fallacy of Fairness

People with OCD might believe life should always be fair, and feel resentful when it isn’t, often focusing on this aspect in their thoughts.

Blaming

This is when you hold others responsible for your emotional pain, or you blame yourself for every problem. In OCD, one might blame themselves excessively for situations out of their control.

Always Being Right

This is the belief that being wrong is unthinkable. In OCD, this can lead to constant checking and rechecking to ensure no mistakes.

Control Heaven’s Reward Fallacy

Believing that sacrifice and self-denial will eventually pay off as if some cosmic justice system rewards these efforts. In OCD, this could manifest in thinking that adhering to compulsions will surely lead to relief or reward.

Emotional Perfectionism:

This is the idea that you must not ever feel anxious, sad, or uncomfortable and if you do, it’s a sign of weakness. This can exacerbate OCD as one struggles to avoid these feelings at all costs.