Cognitive Distortions

Just as it sounds, in Labeling or Mislabeling you call yourself or others derogatory names i.e., "I'm an idiot" "I'm a fat pig" "She's a moron" etc. When we attach negative labels to ourselves, we create a negative self-image based on our mistakes, poor food choices, and normal human foibles. When we attach negative labels to others, we limit the possibility for ongoing communication or resolution of issues.

Mislabeling almost always involves words that are highly colored and emotionally loaded. For instance, the word moron is a highly charged word. If you have called yourself that and are reading this, it is also irrational. A "moron" wouldn't have the intelligence to research and read about possible solutions to their problems or investigate various tools for personal healing and growth.

Labeling may not always sound like it is emotionally loaded language but it almost always colors our perception and may be self-limiting or self-defeating in some way. For instance, "I'm mentally ill." The truth is that mental illness is not a box that one is either in or out of. Even those of us who have been medically diagnosed with an emotional illness handle many of life's difficulties in very healthy ways. Mental illness and mental wellness are not mutually exclusive.

Calling ourselves a "binge eater" or a "compulsive overeater" is also Labeling. In essence, we are defining who we are by our problems or illnesses. The truth is, that we are humans who happen to have binge eating disorder, or we have a problem with eating compulsively. We are not those disorders. If you had cancer, would you say to yourself, "I'm a cancer?"

Any time we find that we, or anybody else, is attaching labels to us, it pays to question the validity of those labels. Labels can box us in. Some people call it, being put into a box. We humans don't fit neatly in boxes. We are complex beings made up of many parts.

Your "self" cannot be measured by any one event or series of experiences. Your life, and everybody else's, is made up of millions of events, both positive and negative. We learn, change, and grow, by making a series of mistakes. That applies to recovery from binge eating disorder as well. Having the courage and persistence to stick with the process of changing your lifestyle through the mistakes and difficulties involved, is a magnificent achievement by anyone's measure.

Dave's web site is for informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or to replace consultation with a professional dietician, nutritionist, physician, or mental health professional. None of the information presented on this web site is intended to diagnose, prescribe, or to administer to any medical ailments or conditions.