Rosemary Oshiomah Ogedengbe,PhD
Polarized thinking which is also known as all or nothing or black- white thinking is an irrational thinking pattern characterised by thinking only in terms of opposite extremes. It is a thought pattern where an individual beliefs that events are either very good or very bad, or that situations are catastrophic if they aren’t excellent. Individuals who think in this manner are unable to recognise and appreciate that there are shades of grey between black and white. Hence, they are unable to acknowledge that their experiences or circumstances may not be as bad as they think even though they may not be as good as they desire or expect. Such individuals are prone to anxiety and depression. Helping them requires guiding them to identify evidences that challenge their negative beliefs about their situations.
