Cognitive fusion

Cognitive fusion occurs when a person becomes overly caught up in their thoughts, treating them as absolute truths instead of just mental events. This means they might strongly believe their thoughts define reality, influencing their feelings and actions, often leading to stress or avoidant behaviors. For example, thinking "I’ll never succeed" as a fact rather than just a thought. Recognizing cognitive fusion helps individuals see thoughts as separate from themselves, enabling more flexible responses and reducing negative emotional impacts. It is a core concept in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aimed at promoting psychological flexibility.