Comprising about a dozen categories (many overlapping), thoughts like these compel people to interpret distressing situations in unbalanced ways without examining the actual evidence at hand. This all-or-nothing way of thinking is a typical example of a pattern known as automatic negative thought (ANT). You're going to end up on the street with no means of supporting yourself. You've just been laid off, and doomsday thoughts ricochet through your brain in a chaotic rush: You're an idiot who can't hold a job.