Anonymous-EmpathyAI/Distortion-Analysis-PACLIC39 huggingface dataset:
Patient question: From a young woman in the U.S.: I have had enough of the constant drama in my house, should I move out? I wish I had a larger word limit, lots of history behind this. To keep it short, I live with my mother and her alcoholic boyfriend, which has made the last 7 years of my life that much harder and I need out.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: Why can’t I just stop trying to fix everything…stop trying to make my relationship the best that I can be? Why can’t I just leave things as is without getting someone else pissed? Sometimes I feel such strong emotions I feel like my heart can’t take it I feel like no one understands me.. I feel alone..I was typed as infj /isfj I don’t know if that had anything to with it..how can I just be happy now sometimes I wish I wasn’t so introverted sometimes. (From South Africa)

Distorted part: Why can’t I just leave things as is without getting someone else pissed?  Sometimes I feel such strong emotions I feel like my heart can’t take it I feel like no one understands me.
Dominant distortion: Personalization
Secondary distortion: Emotional Reasoning
Patient question: I’ve been dating this guy for 2 years. When he is “on” it is great. We are able to talk about any subject and have lots of fun and what appears to be a deep connection – we talk about serious subjects, philosophies, growth, the meaning of life, etc. It’s very engaging. This goes on for a few months and then suddenly he turns “off.” One day I wake up and we are not connecting at the “normal” pace (i.e daily phone calls, a few texts, or plans for in person contact). The connection feels severed, there is an edge in his voice, and he is cold. I notice this, give it some space (2-3 days) and then intentionally and gently bring it up. Initially he is defensive but pretty quickly he will acknowledge that yes, he’s withdrawn and eventually some narrative will show up as a reason for the behavior – he felt I disrespected him (I was late returning a call), he felt I abandoned him (I had some trips and so I was out of town), he was nervous that I’d reject some of his behavior that he’d been hiding (he smokes occasionally), etc. The conversations come back on line and we talk about his feelings, needs, and better ways to communicate etc. He does have a therapist and I suggest he work on these issues with his therapist. Then everything goes back to normal until it cycles again.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: I’m quickly destabilizing my mood has gotten uncontrollable, I’ve talked to my therapist/clinician or whatever and they said they would keep me where I’m at as far as medication goes. I was in a psychiatric hospital months back and they had me on three different medications and I felt kinda good, but now I’m just on a 1 mg risperidone, and it doesn’t do anything anymore. I was on lithium, ativan, and seroquel, before I had a mental breakdown and over dosed before they took me off the medication. I really feel the need to be back on an anti-anxiety, and mood stabilizer, maybe even anti-depressant. The thing is no one cares what I have to say and my family is basically toxic af, they tell me “everyone gets angry, deal with it”. I am finally seeking help from online before I end up killing a bunch of people and this turns into a full blown tragedy. What do I do when no one listens to me? I’m not going back to that psychiatric hospital because it was a waste of time and money. I need medications but no one cares until I end up doing something completely insane. Nobody cares what I have to say unless its a full blown crisis situation. Everyone thinks I’m doing fine but In reality I’m having a terrible time, and want to kill people, burn buildings, basically try to bring in the second coming. How can I find someone who will listen and get me put on a pill that actually works?

Distorted part: I need medications but no one cares until I end up doing something completely insane. Nobody cares what I have to say unless its a full blown crisis situation.
Dominant distortion: Fortune-telling
Secondary distortion: All-or-nothing thinking
Patient question: Hello and greetings. I hope somebody can demystify this for me, since I suspect I’m suffering from mild anxiety or something else, such as simple boredom. It feels like I have writer’s block on all the time, and part of my brain constantly feels unused, “inactive” and “asleep”, as if on constant autopilot for the whole day.

Distorted part: It feels like I have writer’s block on all the time, and part of my brain constantly feels unused, “inactive” and “asleep”, as if on constant autopilot for the whole day.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: From a teen in the U.S: I’m extremely uncomfortable around my step father. I’m young,13. so i’m not sure if this is just me being dumb, but I am really uncomfortable and feel really anxious around my step father. I’ve overheard my mother and his arguments, and they are apparently fighting because he cheated with multiple women, and because he’s acting like a child.

Distorted part: I’m young,13. so i’m not sure if this is just me being dumb, but I am really uncomfortable and feel really anxious around my step father.
Dominant distortion: Personalization
Secondary distortion: Labeling
Patient question: I have been in a relationship with my best friend for five years. We are a great fit in all ways, but he frequently questions my integrity and his self-worth. A few years ago, I took a high paying job as a personal assistant. We were living in a bad neighborhood and I jumped at the opportunity to make more money- without questioning the logistics. It ended up being a personal assistant to a pimp, arranging dates, managing money, and sending out ads for the girls. We talked about what my job would entail, and he was not happy with it, but agreed that we needed the money and it wouldn’t be forever. A few months after I started, my boss forced me to do something not in my job description. In the situation, I feared for my life, so I obliged. I didn’t show up for my shift the next day, hoping it would all just go away and I could find a different job quickly. I started receiving threatening phone calls. My boss demanded all the money he had paid me back ($20,000). He had a copy of my ID and social from the hiring process. He made it very clear that my life was in his hands. I worked as a sex worker for a year and a half to pay him back in full. During that time, my boyfriend found out about it and understandably flipped out. Our marriage plans went out the window, I was forced out of our friend group, and was left to deal with the aftermath alone. That was two years ago, and we are in a much better place now. But for him, marriage still isn’t on the table and his friends haven’t welcomed me back. He says that he often blames himself for not figuring it out sooner, and blames me for not coming to him for help. I try to explain to him that I was scared to involve anyone else for fear of what would happen to them, but he just doesn’t understand why I didn’t go to the cops. I’m afraid this occurrence will always be a stain on my relationship resume with him, and that he will only see his pain of feeling betrayed and cheated on, when that was not my intention. Can we work towards forgiveness? Or am I wasting my time? (From the USA)

Distorted part: I’m afraid this occurrence will always be a stain on my relationship resume with him, and that he will only see his pain of feeling betrayed and cheated on, when that was not my intention.
Dominant distortion: Fortune-telling
Patient question: From a teen in Australia: I have had a partner for over one year, I cheated on my partner at the very beginning of the relationship then stopped I was loyal to him for a good few months and a few days ago I cheated on him again and I don’t understand why I did it, I didn’t feel anything when I was cheating on him in the moment I was just thinking about him being hurt, angry and confused and I was rather upset when doing it but I kept doing it. I would love to know what y’all think about this because I don’t know what to think and I don’t want any of my friends to think I’m a slut so I’m not going to ask them.

Distorted part: I would love to know what y’all think about this because I don’t know what to think and I don’t want any of my friends to think I’m a slut so I’m not going to ask them.
Dominant distortion: Labeling
Patient question: Since I was 9 (that’s 5 years), it feels like a haze follows me everywhere. The first few years it was probably puberty or something, but I felt a little less than neutral all the time, cried at night sometimes, and got irritated easily. I guess that’s still now, I remember being more “edgy” the first 2 years, that’s something to laugh at maybe.

Distorted part: Since I was 9 (that’s 5 years), it feels like a haze follows me everywhere.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: I Had Since 7 Years A Depression Which Resulted In Anxiety/OCD after using lexapro for certain period I was kind of cured. now a year ago I felt the symptoms came back but more extreme. I have sense of wanting to control my senses and It feel strange to me examples.. I try to control my head when I talk or U feel the words coming out of my mouth strange.. to summarize it I feel strange to the nature of being me and this gives me huge anxiety especially that it keeps running all the time in my head. I have used this year the following medications without real benefit : lexapro-sertarline-brintellix-fevarin and now am on venlafaxine. I have some times during the day some good moments where I feel kind of normal and my sleep eating patroon is good, but the strange feeling of myself does not allow me to go back to work yet.. (main problem is monitoring myself too much ) what do you recommend especially that I tried CBT but also without real results.. am afraid this will take longer time and am already fed up with the situation that I cannot concentrate on the main things in life and instead am only busy monitoring myself ( my eyes blinks, my mouth when I talk , my head when am talking, my hands if I move them.. everything seems weird to me) further I do not use any drugs neither I drink alcohol. Please send me your advice and I will be grateful.

Distorted part: am afraid this will take longer time and am already fed up with the situation that I cannot concentrate on the main things in life and instead am only busy monitoring myself ( my eyes blinks, my mouth when I talk , my head when am talking, my hands if I move them..
Dominant distortion: Magnification
Secondary distortion: Fortune-telling
Patient question: I’m spiraling into this state of despair because I cannot enjoy what is around me. The birds, the trees, the sky, the smile of people, nothing. It brings no joy to me and it really bothers me. However, I understand that no human can live this wonderful life all of the time and be scott free without seeing some things that bother them. In my case, I’ve seen some very horrible things, mostly car accidents and family members who have died from various diseases and being mortified and shocked at them having no life anymore. I’m very sensitive to such things as well and it effects me more than anyone else I know and it bothers me. Even a dead deer on the side of the road traumatizes me for the day or seeing some zombies. One particular day, however, sealed the deal with me being pretty much traumatized constantly. So I’m 13 years old and I’m going to a doctor’s appointment and I see an old man with his skull crushed in and the insides of his head splattered all over the highway from a Semi hitting him in his car. Imagine how mortified I was. I didn’t speak for a whole day as a matter of fact and I cried the whole night. That perhaps sealed the deal with me being shocked. So fast forward to me being 20 now and I’m upset that I can’t be happy because I am in this constant state of shock and I do these thousand yard stares yet think and feel nothing because I’ve seen what horrors the world has offered. I can’t be happy at all. I ask God to help me but my mental capacity does not allocate me to register that there is innocence around me and that I should smile because my innocence and happiness has been permanently stolen from me and I am in a constant state of shock and I feel “out of the world”. Not like I’m high, I just feel permanently detached from everything, which includes me happiness. I can still feel sadness which is unfortunate but I try to cope with it. To do this I’ve grown very very attached to horses and I hug them to feel better, however this is temporary and I wish to be happy from my surroundings.

Distorted part: I’m spiraling into this state of despair because I cannot enjoy what is around me. The birds, the trees, the sky, the smile of people, nothing. It brings no joy to me and it really bothers me. I’m very sensitive to such things as well and it effects me more than anyone else I know and it bothers me.  I can’t be happy at all.
Dominant distortion: Mental filter
Secondary distortion: Fortune-telling
Patient question: My brother is a paranoid schizophrenic with bipolar disorder autism and adhd. His schizophrenia comes with homicidal thoughts. He’s been admitted into a hospital before and was being treated for years. About a year ago now he went off of his meds and it’s been downhill from there. He’s currently in a manic state and has been for months. He refuses to get back on his medications and it’s taking a toll on him and everyone else. He’s violent, combative, and just dangerous. Anyone he sees in his way is a target. He has harmed my mother’s dog. Tried to hurt my toddler (he is no longer around her anymore at all). He’s choked my mom stolen her car, loosened the lugnuts on her tire and when she went to drive away her tire fell off. He’s assaulted a police officer threatened multiple times to kill people. It hasn’t gotten to the point where even my mom had to move out. We’ve called the crisis line, the police, even adult protective services and no one will do anything about it. He’s going to seriously hurt someone or himself and I can’t bear the thought of standing back and watching him drown. He’s destroyed his apartment and belongings. We are at a loss for what to do. We can’t force him to get back on his medications because he is still his power of attorney. We can’t force him to seek treatment at all. Is there anything we can do? He keeps racking up charges for himself and jail is not the place he needs to be. He is a really amazing docile person when he’s medicated, but when he’s not he’s one of the scariest people I’ve ever seen. What can we do?

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: From a young man in Australia: Not a major complication but just interested in some different perspectives. I am a physically healthy late-30 year old man. I do not drink alcohol or smoke, I do not do drugs, I don’t gamble, and I try to avoid eating bad food too often. I exercise regularly and have a pretty good life (married, child, dog, run my own business). I also don’t waste money on buying random stuff to make myself feel rewarded”;.

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: My brother’s always been a shy child, but he had a good relationship with family and friends. In his teenage years, he started to withdraw. I was the only one to whom he kept talking. He began to spend most of the day in his bedroom. He also began to use monosyllable words to reply to my parents, aunts, cousins… Never started a conversation unless you addressed him. Now, at 19 (almost 20), it has evolved to the point he doesn’t talk to anybody, not even to me, and not even with monosyllables. He doesn’t look anybody in the face either (he didn’t do that a few years ago). If I try to talk to him, he ignores me or makes a sound of annoyance and kicks me out of his bedroom. He is very childish too, in the sense that it is part of his routine to watch cartoons with his favorite stuffed toys (he refuses to throw toys away). He prefers their company to that of people. I don’t even know if he has friends. He certainly avoids his college peers. He has dinner alone and goes to sleep early (I bet it is only to avoid us too). He only goes out if he needs to get a book in the library or if he has to go to college. Otherwise, you’ll find him home. Is he afraid to become an adult? Could that be the reason he behaves like a child despite being almost 20? Could he have social anxiety? Autism, even? Maybe Aspergers. Some symptoms coincide: • Difficulty to socialize and make friends; isolation • Rigid routines (he gets distressed if he can’t follow them) • Fear of change (he doesn’t want to throw old/broken things away) • Hygiene issues (he rarely showers and shaves and he never uses deodorant) • Sensitivity to noises and light • Repetitive motor mannerisms (which he didn’t have as a child) If he had autism, though, he would have some speech difficulties, wouldn’t he? He actually uses sarcasm and understands it perfectly. Never shown any speech delay either. Besides, I think I read someone is born autistic, so he can’t become autistic at the age of 18. It’s been an evolution, that’s why I’m not sure what is going on. Is he just a very immature teenager or does he have a condition? (From Spain)

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: I’m writing for my brother who is currently 26. I am his older brother. I have been concerned about him for a long time. Growing up he had few friends and would mainly play video games by himself or online. Also growing up he was a bit bossy towards my parents and others, he was the youngest child. In college he had a short phase where he was a bit more social. It is now about 4 years since he has graduated college. In that time he has not worked any job. He gets angry when people try to tell him to think about the future and what he wants to do with his life. He lives alone in an apartment that my parents own in Queens (we live on Long Island). He barely goes outside. He orders things to his apartment, even food so he doesnt go outside (he doesn’t know how to drive either). He mainly just plays video games online and sleeps. It seems like he has some hidden form of cash flow that we do not know of since he buys himself things on Amazon quite frequently. He is extremely moody and can get in quite negative angry moods towards others. This has been 4 years and I am not sure what to do. He himself does not seem open for us trying to help, when my parents try to have a more serious talk with him he gets extremely angry and then will say extreme things to get them to stop talking, like “This will be the last you will ever see me. I will move to Sweden” (he is currently dating a girl online from Sweden who has recently come to visit him in NY). Or he will even say things like committing suicide if we try to get involved help him. We do not want him to run away to Sweden so we are not sure what to do as we feel like we are walking on thin ice over here. But he has been stuck for so long. The problem is that he doesn’t seem to care at all. I wasn’t sure what to do and would appreciate your help on how to hopefully get things on a positive path. We do not want to see him waste away his life like this any longer. What is the first step? Thank you.

Distorted part: The problem is that he doesn’t seem to care at all.
Dominant distortion: Mind Reading
Patient question: From a young woman in Latvia:  I should start by saying that I have never posted a question online before. I’m usually pretty logical and level headed and can resolve issues on my own. But this one has been tormenting me and I cannot seem to figure things out. My mother who is in her mid 50s has been teaching her entire life at one school. It’s the school me and my sister graduated from as well. Over a decade ago. But it’s what I know, what I’m familiar with.

Distorted part: But this one has been tormenting me and I cannot seem to figure things out
Dominant distortion: Mental filter
Patient question: My girlfriend’s male best friend has been sleeping over at her house. See, he recently moved into my house, and since he’s moved, he’s spent more time at her house than anywhere else. I’m perfectly okay with them hanging out, I’m glad she has such a good friend. But at the end of the day, I really am not okay with him sleeping over at her house when I’m not there. (Question from Canada)

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: I’ve been diagnosed with DID, psychosis, intermittent explosive disorder with homicidal thoughts & PTSD by VA psychiatrist. The VA has no problems diagnosing me with DID but they won’t treat DID. I’m in a constant state of extreme rage I can’t leave my living space because I can’t control the rage when I’m around people.

Distorted part: I’m in a constant state of extreme rage I can’t leave my living space because I can’t control the rage when I’m around people.
Dominant distortion: All-or-nothing thinking
Patient question: From a teen in the U.S.: I’m 16 and this year was the worst for me. My parents got divorced, but I knew there was no bad blood between each other and me and them. Yet, it still sucked knowing they”re divorced now. I understand why it happened and I know it’s a necessary evil. However, it affected my school work so bad.

Distorted part: I’m 16 and this year was the worst for me.
Dominant distortion: Mental filter
Patient question: My boyfriend of one year, who I have been looking at apartments with, broke up with me out of the blue. He has been feeling suicidal, which he dropped on me as we were walking into my parents house. I was completely caught off guard and said this was a selfish (cringe) time to disclose this information since we are always together. I apologized right after we had dealt with my family and tried to talk but he didn’t want to. He said everything was fine. I offered we go home and he said he wanted to stay. We went out on a boat trip with my family the next day. My boyfriend got really drunk and got into a fight with me because he wanted me to drive him to his friends (we were in the middle of the ocean). I tried hugging him to show I loved him and it was okay and to calm down but that just made it worse. He said I tried to smother him, broke up with me in front of my family, and forced my family to take him to a private beach where he waited for someone to pick him up. Once we both got back home a few days later we tried to talk but he told me that I never supported his mental health. I had no idea he felt this way, that episodes like this were so intense. He told me he had bipolar but he never talked about it. I was really involved in finding him a therapist and I was always there but he would tell me he just “needed to be quiet” and he was “okay.” I’m not sure what to do. He won’t talk to me anymore and has wiped me from his life. This is the total opposite of the person who asked my grandfather (one month ago) for permission to marry me. I’m extremely lost. I have PTSD and so all of this is extremely triggering for me. I’ve been completely open with my mental health and the boundaries I need. I don’t know if I should keep checking on him or leave him alone. I left him alone because he said he wanted space when this first happened but then he threw in my face that i wasn’t there for him when we did talk.

Distorted part: This is the total opposite of the person who asked my grandfather (one month ago) for permission to marry me.
Dominant distortion: All-or-nothing thinking
Patient question: From a young man in the U.S.:   It’s very hard for me to connect with people. Through my childhood my parents would erupt into major fights that can get physical at any moment.  They are good parents to my brother and I but i’ve never experienced a moment with my parents showing love or affection towards each other.  They separated a lot and for over one year my brother and I had to move from one aunt’s house to the next while both parents were in different countries.

Distorted part: They are good parents to my brother and I but i’ve never experienced a moment with my parents showing love or affection towards each other.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization