Anonymous-EmpathyAI/Distortion-Analysis-PACLIC39 huggingface dataset:
Patient question: I hope I’m just a perfectionist, but sometimes I feel like my behavior is too bizarre. I like order, routine, and organization, but I am not sure if I’m going too far with this. If fail anything I gave effort to I will not except it. I will beat myself up over it until I get it. One very unhealthy example of this would be my eating behavior. I want the perfect body and I don’t care how much mental exhaustion I have to deal with to get it. I fast for days and I refuse to eat foods that I deem as “bad”. If I do end up breaking this, which happens during breaks or family reunion dinners, I make up by extreme dieting next few days. Another example would be in school. I will study until I can no longer see words clearly on the paper or the screen, which some people might think is a good habit, so I am not exactly sure about this particular case. Another thing my friend thought was weird about a specific habit I have is washing my hands for exactly 30 seconds. I read about it somewhere that it takes 30 seconds for germs to actually come off, so again I’m not sure if not is actually abnormal. I just feel like people tell me my behavior is abnormal but I just think they’re exaggerating, because most people want to meet the average expectations. But I also do understand that many people close to me point out my obsessions in a negative way so I am just wondering if I am the one not seeing clearly or is everyone else in my life average achievers (sorry I don’t know any other term to use). One other mental process I want to point out about myself is that I see behavior in black and white terms. What I mean by this is that you’re either “perfect” or a “failure”. Clean or dirty. I don’t see topics such as politics in black and white, but behavior and characteristics that describe humans.

Distorted part: One other mental process I want to point out about myself is that I see behavior in black and white terms. What I mean by this is that you’re either “perfect” or a “failure”.
Dominant distortion: All-or-nothing thinking
Patient question: From a woman in Australia: My husband cheated on me emotionally with a female work colleague.  As far as I know and he promised me that it was not physical. I found out when her husband contacted my husband and told him to leave her alone.  I was devastated as I felt cheated on and I have lost trust.

Distorted part: I was devastated as I felt cheated on and I have lost trust.
Dominant distortion: Emotional Reasoning
Patient question: Hello. My issue is about friendships and the aftermath of my toxicity. I’ve been friends with a girl X for so many years, but I noticed this summer that she seemed to be with someone else, which IS normal. However, I can conclude that her random annulment of our get-together was canceled to be with that person. I still was trying to be as nice as possible to X, but eventually, it felt like I didn’t know her anymore.

Distorted part: However, I can conclude that her random annulment of our get-together was canceled to be with that person. I still was trying to be as nice as possible to X, but eventually, it felt like I didn’t know her anymore.
Dominant distortion: Magnification
Patient question: My mother has always been very controlling so when it came to graduating high school, I was very excited to be going off to college. However, my mother, who insists that she “would rather die than live without” me, continuously threw temper tantrums and complained to every family member possible until I caved and went to a university close to home. For the past 3 1/2 years, I have been commuting back and forth. I felt like I have missed so much of the college experience and have such little freedom compared to everyone else my age.

Distorted part: For the past 3 1/2 years, I have been commuting back and forth. I felt like I have missed so much of the college experience and have such little freedom compared to everyone else my age.
Dominant distortion: Emotional Reasoning
Secondary distortion: Magnification
Patient question: I realize that this has been asked before but my situation is different from the rest. When I was younger I was a pathological liar. I have been through three family divorces, I have severe depression, anxiety, and I have ADHD. I have loved the idea of the human body and how it works since I was little. When I would see animal corpses I wanted to take them apart and search them. I have been suicidal a lot. With this new divorce, I have come to hate the person my parent is divorcing. I hate them so much that I cannot be in the same room as them or hear their name without wanting to throw up. It has escalated to the point that I have constant violent thoughts when I hear or see them. These kinds of thoughts have spread to the people around me (like passers-by), meaning that I think about hurting them. I do not want to hurt them but at times I appreciate the thought…. I am afraid of therapists for some reason so I am afraid of asking for help. My parents are also having issues with money so I do not want to burden them.

Distorted part: I am afraid of therapists for some reason so I am afraid of asking for help.
Dominant distortion: Emotional Reasoning
Patient question: From the U.S.: My father is the most critical and hypocritical person I’ve ever met.  Everything must be his way even if his way is stress-inducing.  He does everything for a reason, but no one else thinks.  Everyone makes his life harder, but he never causes problems.  Everyone else causes themselves problems, but his problems are worse.  No one appreciates him, but it’s justified that he does not appreciate anyone else.  Etc.

Distorted part: My father is the most critical and hypocritical person I’ve ever met.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: From the U.S.: My son has ADD ADHD and is 22 and is having a lot of trouble with anger issues, anxiety, etc He was on Vivanse and now is on Adderol (which I hate the affects) because we can’t afford the Vivanse He really needs counseling. He is helping me take care of my wife who has Alzheimers and had a pizza delivery job at night and weekends, but quit that. He just doesn’t want to do anything and gets in fits of rage and depression. He is also on an anti-depressive.

Distorted part: He just doesn’t want to do anything and gets in fits of rage and depression.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: I was diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety as a teenager, dealing with cutting and bulimia. As the years have gone by, I’ve been on and off of medications and while I knew I still dealt with the mental illness, I felt like I’d grown a lot. Over the last couple of years, though, things have gotten bad again. It seems that I’ll be fine or at least stable for months until something will go wrong, and it’s like a house of cards toppling over. It’ll send me spiraling into what I refer to as an episode for lack of a better word. I’ve described episodes before to my previous nurse practitioner/psychologists, but it never occurred to me until recently that I should’ve told them about the voice I would hear during the episodes. I’ve always just thought of it as my own thoughts, except way louder and more aggressive, but after reading about the difference between your own voice in your head and hearing a voice, I’m now more concerned about the episodes. The last time I had one, I ended up grabbing a bottle of pills, stealing a knife from my sister’s house, sending my mom a goodbye text, and walking the streets in 20 degree weather while cutting myself and all at the urging of what I thought to be my own thoughts. However, looking back on it, I can still hear the voice berating me, referring to me in the third person instead of first. My thinking is completely distorted during these episodes, and as soon as I come out of it (usually within a few hours), I’m embarrassed by my actions and think clearly again. For example, one time I was so anxious that no one would pick me to do a group project with them in class, that I went home and started cutting so my mom would have to take me to the hospital and I’d get to miss school the day they chose partners. Is that delusional thinking? I’ve never met someone with depression/anxiety who has episodes that intense and rapid. It’s like feeling the craziness of mania, but without the happiness/confidence. Is there a such thing as having depression with psychotic episodes or is that normal and I’m just thinking too deep into it or being a hypochondriac?

Distorted part: I’ve always just thought of it as my own thoughts, except way louder and more aggressive, but after reading about the difference between your own voice in your head and hearing a voice, I’m now more concerned about the episodes.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: I am 20 years old and I have recently been diagnosed with severe depression. For some time now, I have also been having trouble with anxiety (panic attacks), self-harm, alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts. Recently, when my doctor asked me about a specific event that may have caused my mental health issues, I didn’t know what to answer. However, later that day I had a flashback – one specific scene about me as a child lying on the ground, frozen, and a guy from my school, naked, forcing himself on me. I remember having the exact same flashback every now and then for many years now. Until now, I always feared going to the gynecologist, thinking s/he may find out about what I had been doing or even find that I was pregnant (despite the fact it was years before I had had my first period). The problem is, I don’t know what really happened. I cannot remember anything else about the incident and when I was younger I also had nightmares about it, making me question whether it had been a nightmare all along. Plus, I would have been between 5 and 10 years old when it happened (I have some issues with my childhood memory) and the guy from this scene was from my class. He was, at most, 1 year older than me. How do I know if all of this really happened? And is child sexual abuse between children (with the same age) even possible? (From Germany)

Dominant distortion: No Distortion
Patient question: My boyfriend and I have been dating for a year and a half. My boyfriend still lives with his mom, sisters, and step dad. We were seeing each other almost everyday. But recently his mom told him he has to be home before 9pm. Also he can’t come over during the weekdays anymore unless he texts her and asks. He is 25 years old. She always is telling him he is making mistakes by not being home and not inviting her to the movies with us. His little sister acts like she is his other mom, and she can tell him what to do, because his mom gave her that power. We have talked about moving in together, but now his mom isn’t going to let us. He pays her rent every month ($400). He is the oldest child as well. My boyfriend is seeing the way his mom is, and wants to talk to her. But she always makes his sisters sit in so they can gang up on him. His dad loves me and always is very welcoming in his house. He always tells us that he is just so happy and proud of how we are trying to be on our own. I just want to know.. is his mom taking this to far? Does she not want us together? She does she just not like me?

Distorted part: Does she not want us together? She does she just not like me?
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: I think I’m going insane. My nightmares, my dreams, they’re so vivid, and they’re never natural, i dont feel like one person i swear I’m not alone, and they talk to me through my dreams, nobody understands me when i talk about them, i do rituals where i self harm and put the blood all over myself. I sit in the dark and twitch and i dont hear voices but I FEEL them, I FEEL them inside me, i feel different from everyone else, I dont know what is wrong with me. I swear I’m going crazy. I hurt myself and then after I realize what I’ve done and i cry. I cry during i do it and whisper to myself. My dreams are so impacting they determine my mental state throughout my day. They are so real like, I feel panicked throughout the day. This isnt like the nightmare disorders I’ve read about. I love them even though they’re so detrimental to me. I cant let go of my past. Please help, I dont know whats wrong with me.

Distorted part: I think I’m going insane.
Dominant distortion: Fortune-telling
Patient question: From the U.S.: I’m in conflict with my mother, who has neglected me since a young age. She never respects my privacy and constantly condescends me, especially in front of other family members. She can resent someone yet keep in touch with them at the same time. She promises to provide yet her promises are on and off without reason. She treats me like a child and i never feel her support.

Distorted part: She never respects my privacy and constantly condescends me, especially in front of other family members.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: I’m in a relationship w a woman I love. But I cannot control myself. I lie constantly. She always catches me in lies and I get angry and turn it on her. I know I have lied but I blame her. When emotions get crazy my behavior is bad – lying, cheating, drinking, drugs, disappearing. I say I’m sorry and will not do it again. But I do. Just last week I cheated on her. I lied several times about it but she knew Bc she found a condom wrapper in my trashcan. I was emotional, went drinking, and cheated. Guilt is enormous! But I can’t control myself. I’ve lied to her hundreds of times in the past few months even when I have had no reason to lie! Today I was feeling so guilty. I called and we talked. I asked her for one last chance. She agreed to think about it while we are apart for a few days. I’m going on a quick out of state trip. But she caught me in a lie there as well because I went with a platonic female friend. I told her that I was going with a couple of guys she knew. She called while I was driving and I had to admit I was with the female. She said that’s it; she’s done. I’m so guilty and heartbroken. She’s my whole world and she is the only person always there for me. But I keep treating her badly. Over Christmas I took several hundred dollars from her bank account to buy Christmas gifts. I told her I had something nice planned for her and her daughter. I spent all that money on drugs in one day! Then I lied and told her I didn’t it on an exirnduve gift for my mother. Of course, she caught me in that lie! You name it and I’ve done it to this woman. She deserves none of it! I want to be with her but I can’t keep myself in check. No insurance and can’t find a free clinic. I’m feeling worthless and guilty. I love her so much. But my lying and bad behavior carries on beyond just her. How can I find help? How can I keep her in my life? I’m losing all hope of a normal life and relationship.

Distorted part: I want to be with her but I can’t keep myself in check.  I’m feeling worthless and guilty. 
Dominant distortion: Fortune-telling
Secondary distortion: Labeling
Patient question: I grew up in a upper middle class family. I was given most things I wanted and all the essential things a child would need. I have a brother who is 25, he has borderline personality disorder. He acted out as a child/teenager, was constantly arguing with my parents and soaked up much of my parents attention. I was given attention in a different way, but rejected any emotionally connection because I saw emotions as negative because my brother/parents were arguing because of my brothers intense emotions.

Distorted part: I was given attention in a different way, but rejected any emotionally connection because I saw emotions as negative because my brother/parents were arguing because of my brothers intense emotions.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: I find myself increasingly disillusioned with society and with my peers. In my classes, I feel like there is a lack of focus on important issues and my attempts to provoke conversations on current affairs in the world and how they should be dealt with, specifically in terms of race, domestic policy, and global issues. I feel as if moving on to higher education will not be worth it. I feel if I were to apply myself to some field and envelop myself in my work that it would allow free-loaders to succeed and ride my coattails. I feel as if my peers are rats who lie about their feelings and their interests. They’ll argue that they care very much for social issues such as global minorities facing persecution (the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, the Sudanese) yet they never say anything about these issues unless prompted by me. Furthermore, those conversations are one-sided and ephemeral because they quickly grow bored discussing issues they don’t care about. Should I continue to pursue personal goals?

Distorted part: I feel as if moving on to higher education will not be worth it. I feel if I were to apply myself to some field and envelop myself in my work that it would allow free-loaders to succeed and ride my coattails.
Dominant distortion: Fortune-telling
Patient question: From the U.S.: First, I’m a survivor of a narcissistic parent. I’ve since recognized it, found a way to deal and stopped blaming myself. After over 10 years of marriage and 3 children, I’m now wondering if my husband is also a narcissist and emotionally abusing me because many things he does are just like what my parent did.

Distorted part: After over 10 years of marriage and 3 children, I’m now wondering if my husband is also a narcissist and emotionally abusing me because many things he does are just like what my parent did.
Dominant distortion: Overgeneralization
Patient question: From a teen in the U.S.: I have been dealing with a lot of different internal issues lately. I can’t go back to my therapist because I am bad at explaining how I feel, and I don’t have the energy to do so. I went to 3 different therapists and left them all because I felt too anxious talking to them. I don’t know what kind of help I need, and I don’t really know what is wrong with me because it feels like many different problems.

Distorted part: I went to 3 different therapists and left them all because I felt too anxious talking to them.
Dominant distortion: Emotional Reasoning
Patient question: The last couple of weeks I’ve not slept more than a few hours every night. I am literally so tired all day and dragging. Yet no matter how tired I am, the second I lay down I feel like I can’t switch my brain off and I’m literally scared to death to go to sleep. I’m scared someone’s going to break in and either kill us all or I’ll get up one morning to one or both kids dead. I hear the slightest noise and I gotta get up and walk all through the house. I’m married with 2 wonderfully amazing children. We have a nice home in a nice, quiet neighborhood. Financially things are a little hard but we make due. I had to quit my job last March due to a car accident that injured my previously injured back and neck so I get to stay home with my youngest. In the last year there have been people that have banged on the door in the middle of the night but that hasn’t happened in months now. I talk to people about this and some make me feel like I’m losing my mind. Can anyone help with this?

Distorted part: I’m scared someone’s going to break in and either kill us all or I’ll get up one morning to one or both kids dead. I hear the slightest noise and I gotta get up and walk all through the house.
Dominant distortion: Magnification
Secondary distortion: Fortune-telling
Patient question: I’ve noticed for the past 2 years, I will have “mood swings”. One minute I’m so excited to visit my parents who live a few hours away…but a couple hours after I arrive, I notice that I go from being happy to shut down. I don’t want to talk about anything. I don’t want to be bothered. I’ve noticed this issue w, my boyfriend of 4 years, as well. We will be perfectly happy for a month straight and one day I just am so bothered by him though he hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s been happening often lately. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with but in high school I weighed 140ish… after high school I started dating my current boyfriend and I gained almost 60 lbs. since the weight gain, I don’t go out. I haven’t spent time with friends in over a year because I am embarrassed and insecure. I’m not sure if maybe I’m taking my insecurities and frustration out on others. I just don’t know what to do anymore. When I feel annoyed or frustrated, I know in my head that it’s wrong and I shouldn’t be rude or distant but my body won’t listen. Its like I have no control. I noticed my reactions have pushed my boyfriend away to thinking he did something wrong. I tell him over and over again that it’s not him… but then he tries to be affectionate or make me laugh and I shut down. I don’t want to be affectionate unless it’s on my time. I don’t understand it. I’ve tried to talk to my doctor about this but all they have done is prescribe depression medication. She didn’t really listen. Please help. Thank you.

Distorted part: When I feel annoyed or frustrated, I know in my head that it’s wrong and I shouldn’t be rude or distant but my body won’t listen.
Dominant distortion: Should statements
Patient question: From the U.K.: I don’t really know how to describe how I feel, and when I try it doesn’t really make sense but here it goes. I go through stages where I feel like I could rule the world, and that I sort of have these superpowers that nobody else does and can’t understand. I feel as though my mind changes so fast and that from hour to hour I could be one persona with certain powers, to the next hour to another. I don’t sleep much during this time, probably why I’m still awake at four in the morning. My mind feels like it’s racing, like my thoughts are going 100 miles and hour and no one can catch up to me.

Distorted part: My mind feels like it’s racing, like my thoughts are going 100 miles and hour and no one can catch up to me.
Dominant distortion: Magnification