Thinking errors are unhelpful patterns of thinking which lead to distress and may not be logical. Thinking errors can be present in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Thinking error 1 – This is an inability to tolerate uncertainty.
An example is “Being uncertain if one has locked the door”. This leads to concern about burglary and being responsible for losing goods. The ensuing compulsion would be checking locks repeatedly. The unhelpful thinking error or pattern here is not being able to tolerate the fact that you may not have locked the door or might have. It is uncertain, but you cannot tolerate that feeling. This can play out in being unsure if you have switched off the gas stove or the lights at night.
Now, you can do this exercise to exert cognitive therapy and challenge this thinking error. Imagine you have to bet a lakh on whether you have locked the door or left it unlocked. Where would you place the bet? In answering this question, you know that most probably and logically, the probability is that you have locked the door or switched off the gas stove. Still, since your thinking pattern is that you cannot tolerate uncertainty, you get distressed. By doing this simple exercise, you can challenge this thinking error and bring a sense of perspective to the fact that you have probably locked the door or switched off the gas stove.
Now, there is a second writing exercise you can do to challenge this thinking error. Reflect on the following questions and write reasonable answers for the same. “Have I locked the door properly in the past?”. From experience of the past, you might realise that every time you return home, you have probably locked the door well, and the house has been safe without burglary. Keeping the past experience in perspective, what is the probability that you have now locked the door? Does it help challenge this thinking error?
“What is the worst that can happen?”. You probably don’t have many expensive goods as you might have used the locker or the bank. Even in the worst-case scenario, you might lose some money. Calculate how much it would be. Are you insured? Is the amount of money which might be lost significant enough to cause distress?
Write down the answer to the following question, “Am I scared of burglary or being held responsible?”. You may be concerned about being held responsible for the burglary, not locking the door, and taking the blame for it. However, remember that when a crime such as theft occurs, it is not just the responsibility of the person who locks the door. The police, the burglar, the security guards, and the CCTV monitors are all responsible. Hence, believing you are solely responsible for this is a thinking error.
“What will I tell a friend in a similar situation?”. Commonly, people use different standards for themselves and different to others. Would you be so concerned if your friend related this story? Understand that this is a pattern of being guilty and concerned about being responsible for safety. You have now learnt to challenge an unhelpful thinking pattern. Let us move on to the next.
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