Thinking Traps: 12 Cognitive Distortions That are Hijacking Your Brain

Understanding thinking traps and IBS

If you live with IBS, you probably already know how closely your mind and gut are connected. Stress, anxiety, and negative thought patterns can directly influence gut sensitivity and trigger flare-ups through the gut–brain connection. One of the biggest drivers of IBS anxiety is a group of unhelpful thought patterns known as thinking traps or cognitive distortions.

Thinking traps are the ways your mind convinces you of something that isn’t true – often to reinforce a negative mindset. These distorted thoughts feel rational in the moment but exaggerate or misinterpret reality, leading to more worry, tension, and physical symptoms. For people with IBS, this can mean a cycle of anxiety, gut discomfort, and fear of future symptoms.

It’s not usually the event itself that causes emotional distress or gut reactions – it’s the interpretation of that event. Your thoughts shape your body’s stress response, which in turn affects digestion, motility, and gut sensitivity. Recognizing and reframing these patterns is key to reducing IBS-related anxiety and regaining control of your gut health.

What are cognitive distortions?

The concept of cognitive distortions was first introduced by psychologist Aaron Beck in 1976 as part of his work on cognitive behavioral theory.

In the 1980s, psychiatrist David Burns expanded on Beck’s ideas, giving these distorted thought patterns familiar names and practical examples that made them easier to recognize and challenge in everyday life.

How cognitive distortions affect the gut-brain connection

Cognitive distortions are automatic, habitual ways of thinking that heighten stress signals through the gut-brain axis. When your brain perceives a threat – even a psychological one – your gut reacts as if danger is present. This increases intestinal sensitivity, alters motility, and may amplify symptoms like bloating, cramping, or urgency.

Common ways these distorted thoughts affect IBS include:
• Increasing anxiety about symptoms (for example, “What if this pain means something serious?”)
• Heightening the body’s stress response and vagal reactivity
• Reinforcing fear-based avoidance of foods or social situations
• Perpetuating the symptom–stress–symptom cycle

By identifying and challenging these thinking traps, you can interrupt that feedback loop and retrain your nervous system for calmer, more balanced responses.

How to overcome thinking traps and reduce IBS anxiety

The first step in changing cognitive distortions is awareness. Learn to notice when your thoughts start spiraling and label what type of thinking trap is showing up. Once you can identify it, you can replace it with more rational, balanced thinking.

Practical steps include:

1. Notice the distortion – Pay attention to thoughts that feel extreme or absolute.
2. Acknowledge the pattern – Name the distortion (for example, mind reading or catastrophizing).
3. Refute it with evidence – Ask yourself, “Is this thought 100% true?”
4. Replace it – Introduce a more realistic or compassionate perspective.

Over time, consistently disputing negative thoughts helps your brain default to more balanced reasoning.

Techniques such as gut-directed hypnotherapy can accelerate this process by calming the nervous system and making automatic thought patterns more flexible. During hypnosis, the brain enters a relaxed, suggestible state where new, rational associations can replace old cognitive distortions that reinforce IBS anxiety.

Common thinking traps linked to IBS

Mind reading

This thinking trap happens when you assume you know what others are thinking – and it’s usually negative. Believing that people are judging you or talking about your IBS symptoms can create unnecessary stress and shame.
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Example thoughts:
• “They’re probably making fun of me behind my back.”
• “She’s tired of hearing me talk about my IBS.”
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Reality check:
You can’t know what others are thinking. Challenge these assumptions by asking yourself for real evidence. Often, people are far less focused on you than your anxiety suggests.

Fortune-telling

This distortion involves predicting that the future will turn out badly before it happens. When you believe a situation is destined to go wrong, your body reacts as though it already has – fueling anxiety and IBS symptoms.
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Example thoughts:
• “I just know I’m going to have a flare-up during my trip.”
• “There’s no way I’ll get through dinner without pain.”
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Reality check:
Remind yourself that you can’t predict the future. Instead of assuming a bad outcome, focus on preparation and coping strategies that give you more control.

Black-and-white thinking

This trap occurs when you only see situations as one extreme or the other – success or failure, good or bad – with no room for nuance. If your expectations aren’t met perfectly, you might label yourself as a total failure. In reality, most situations fall somewhere in between. Missing a workout or eating a single “off-plan” food doesn’t erase your progress – it’s simply a moment to reset and move forward.
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Example thought: “I planned to eat healthy today, but I had one piece of chocolate – my diet is ruined.”
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Reality check: One slip-up doesn’t erase your effort. Consistency, not perfection, supports both gut health and mental balance.

Filtering

Filtering happens when you focus only on the negatives in a situation while ignoring the positives. For example, if one person reacts poorly, you might overlook the support or praise from everyone else. This distortion can make everyday stressors feel far worse, triggering anxiety that impacts your digestion.
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Example thought: “Everyone hated my presentation because one colleague looked bored.”
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Reality check: Notice the full picture – others may have been engaged or even complimented you. Your perception can change how your gut and mind react to stress.

Catastrophizing

Catastrophizing, also known as catastrophic thinking, means imagining the worst possible outcome and assuming you won’t be able to handle it. This distortion can intensify IBS anxiety and activate the gut–brain stress loop, making physical symptoms feel worse.
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Example thoughts: “I’m going to fail this test and my whole future will fall apart” or “If I have symptoms at work, everyone will notice and I’ll lose my job.”
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Reality check: The worst-case scenario rarely happens – and even if it did, you would cope. Challenge the thought by asking, “What’s the most likely outcome?”

Overgeneralization

This occurs when you believe one negative experience means future events will turn out the same way. Overgeneralizing can make IBS flare-ups feel permanent or inevitable, increasing hopelessness and stress.
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Example thought: “I had one bad day, so this week is going to be terrible.”
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Reality check: One difficult moment doesn’t define a pattern. IBS symptoms and emotions fluctuate – bad days pass, and good days return.

Labeling

Labeling happens when you attach a sweeping negative identity to yourself or others instead of recognizing an isolated mistake. It reinforces shame and self-blame, which can heighten gut tension and IBS symptoms.
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Example thought: “I’m a failure” instead of “I failed that time.”
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Reality check: You are not your mistakes. Replace harsh self-labels with compassionate, specific observations about what actually happened.

Personalization

Personalization is believing that everything others do or say is a reaction to you. This distortion fuels guilt and worry – emotions that directly affect the gut through the gut-brain axis.
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Example thought: “My partner seems distant – I must have done something wrong.”
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Reality check: Other people’s moods and actions are influenced by many factors. Step back before assuming blame and check the evidence before reacting.

Should statements

This distortion involves rigid “should” and “shouldn’t” rules about yourself or others. When expectations aren’t met, you feel guilty or frustrated – emotions that increase IBS reactivity.
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Example thought: “I shouldn’t eat any junk food ever again.”
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Reality check: Strict rules often set you up for failure. Aim for flexibility and progress, not perfection. Allow yourself balance and choice without guilt.

Emotional reasoning

Emotional reasoning occurs when you treat feelings as facts. If you feel anxious, you assume there must be danger. This creates a self-perpetuating stress loop that can worsen gut symptoms.
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Example thought: “I feel gross and bloated, so something must be seriously wrong.”
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Reality check: Feelings are signals, not facts. Check in with your body calmly, remind yourself that symptoms fluctuate, and practice grounding to interrupt the emotional–gut feedback cycle.

Control fallacies

Control fallacies appear in two forms:
• External control fallacy – believing you have no power over your circumstances and that everything happens to you.
• Internal control fallacy – believing you are responsible for everyone else’s emotions and outcomes.
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Both extremes amplify stress and guilt, which feed IBS flare-ups.
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Example thoughts: “I can’t help being late – everything is out of my control” or “My friend is upset – it must be my fault.”
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Reality check: You can influence situations but not control every detail. Let go of responsibility for things outside your control, and focus on your own response.

Fallacy of fairness

This distortion involves judging every situation by what seems fair – and feeling angry or resentful when life doesn’t match that ideal. Constant comparison fuels frustration and tension that affect digestion.
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Example thought: “Sarah got promoted and I didn’t – it’s not fair.”
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Reality check: Fairness is subjective. Comparing your path to others only adds unnecessary stress. Focus on your own growth and what you can change.

Always being right

This trap makes you value being right over being kind or balanced. When your goal is to “win” every argument, tension builds – emotionally and physically – which can activate the stress pathways linked to IBS.
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Example thought: “I’m right and everyone else is wrong.”
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Reality check: Ask yourself, “Do I want to be right, or do I want to be calm?” Letting go of the need to prove your point can lower stress and ease gut symptoms.

Key takeaways – retraining your thinking to calm the gut

• Thinking traps reinforce IBS anxiety – Negative thinking patterns heighten the stress response that drives digestive symptoms.
• Awareness creates change – Naming and challenging distortions helps you regulate both your thoughts and your gut reactions.
• Balanced thinking supports healing – Replacing all-or-nothing or catastrophic thoughts with realistic, flexible ones reduces symptom intensity.
• Mind–body awareness is key – The more you recognize how thoughts affect your body, the more control you have over the symptom–stress–symptom cycle.

Learning to spot and reframe thinking traps can help break the cycle of anxiety and digestive distress that keeps IBS symptoms alive. Over time, practicing balanced thinking helps calm both the mind and the gut – improving daily comfort and resilience.