Form: Pathogenic Beliefs Scale, PBS

1 – No
2 – Yes : Not at all distressing
3 – Yes : Somewhat distressing
4 – Yes : Moderately distressing
5 – Yes : Highly distressing
¹
1
2
3
4
5
1

Do you hold this belief? How distressing is this belief?

I believe I am a failure.
2
I believe I am unlovable.
3
I believe others will hurt, humiliate, or manipulate me.
4
I believe I do not deserve to be happy.
5
I believe loving someone means that I need to admire and idealize them.
6
I believe I deserve to be mistreated.
7
I believe others' needs are far more important than my own.
8
I believe disagreeing with others will result in rejection or angry reactions toward me.
9
I believe I should be just like parents or loved ones in order to avoid hurting them.
10
I believe pursuing my own interests and goals means I am selfish or uncaring.
11
I believe my desire for emotional support and nurturance will not be met by others.
12
I believe I deserve to be punished.
13
I believe I cannot rely on others to maintain a stable, strong attachment.
14
I believe others will be attentive or affectionate only when I am suffering.
15
I believe I am responsible for the feelings or behaviors of others.
16
I believe others are emotionally unreliable and rejecting.
17
I believe I overwhelm others with my feelings, needs, and/or behaviors.
18
I believe I should never challenge others or assert my own point of view.
19
I believe I am a deeply flawed or damaged person.
20
I believe I am unworthy and deserve very little in life.
21
I believe I need to be cautious in expressing loving feelings or being close to others.

The presented answer sheet is not an original form and is not intended for printing or use as a handout.

The answer numbers are used only to label response columns. They are NOT scores and should not be used for calculating results.