: Seeing yourself as the cause of negative external events for which you weren't responsible. Reading & Access (PDF)

: Viewing a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

: Seeing things in black-and-white categories.

Dr. Burns identifies 10 common ways our brains twist reality to make us feel worse:

: Motivating yourself with "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts," leading to guilt.

: Rejecting positive experiences by insisting they "don't count."

: Studies have shown that reading this book (bibliotherapy) can be as effective as medication for some individuals with mild to moderate depression. The 10 Cognitive Distortions