Define cognitive defusion and provide a practical example.

• A. Distancing from thoughts so they are not treated as literal truths; example: silently labeling a thought as 'I am having the thought that...' rather than 'I am worthless.'
• B. Replacing thoughts with more positive ones after evaluating them.
• C. Ignoring thoughts and pretending they do not exist.
• D. Accepting thoughts as facts to guide behavior.

Answer: (A)

Cognitive defusion is about changing how you relate to thoughts, seeing them as mental events rather than literal truths that dictate your behavior. A practical way to do this is to silently label the thought as “I’m having the thought that…” instead of fully believing it, such as “I am worthless.” This subtle shift creates distance so the thought doesn’t automatically steer your actions or become a harsh self-judgment. By recognizing thoughts as just words passing through the mind, you can choose how to respond based on your values rather than being pulled by the thought’s perceived certainty. This approach differs from trying to replace thoughts with positives, ignoring them, or treating them as facts to guide behavior, which involve changing content, avoidance, or accepting the thought as truth rather than altering your relationship to it.