For those who suffer from the black holes of depression, Dr. Burns identifies the causes of mood swings and offers scientifically proven treatments...
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Dec 31, 2011
Jamie
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A therapist recommended this book to me. It is basically about how you choose your moods based on how you choose to respond to different situations and events. It really helped me to be in a better mood more often and be more positive about things. You must read this book with an open mind; there is no point if you are skeptical from the start. But it can definitely help you become a happier person.
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May 02, 2011
Steve
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Many years ago I had a confluence of tragic events in my life and I decided to see a psychologist for a while. One day the psychologist told me that I needed to "deal with my feelings". I told him in frustration that I heard that many times before, but that I did not understand what that meant. I asked him what exactly do people do when they "deal with their feelings". He was silent for a few moments and then he wrote the name of this book down on a slip of paper. This book w
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Oct 08, 2011
Seeking
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When I first looked at Feeling Good by David Burns, I thought it was an excellent book. It's packed with practical ideas for improving mood and breaking out of depression. Unfortunately, when I tried to use the book's suggestions when actually depressed, I found them of little use. The theory behind the exercises may be sound but the way the book is written and laid out does not seem to have the depressed reader in mind.
Burns clearly wanted to pack in as many helpful techniques as pos More...
Burns clearly wanted to pack in as many helpful techniques as pos More...
Jun 22, 2011
Daniel
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When you feel bad, you go to a doctor, doctor looks at you and gives you pills for fixing your hormonal apparatus (which is fine, I promise you). You start taking pills, just for sleeping, then for overcoming depression, and then for something else and etc'. At some point you think, I cannot live without the pills, I'm addicted. But what about the real reason (which was wrong in the first place) your reasoning mechanism you are trying to shut down with pills?
This book is a self-help g More...
This book is a self-help g More...
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(3 people liked it)
Jan 05, 2011
Jennifer
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Need to change your thinking? Need to find the will? Need to find hope? Need to find your worth?
This book doesn't do that for you.
But it teaches you how to change your thinking so YOU can discover these things that were there all along. I'm depressed... super-depressed and when I'm in a good frame of mind nothing is all that bad. But when I am in a slump, it's hard to even see the point in trying. Much less reading a stupid book. But this book even shows you what to More...
This book doesn't do that for you.
But it teaches you how to change your thinking so YOU can discover these things that were there all along. I'm depressed... super-depressed and when I'm in a good frame of mind nothing is all that bad. But when I am in a slump, it's hard to even see the point in trying. Much less reading a stupid book. But this book even shows you what to More...
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Aug 30, 2010
Michael
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A pile of Seneca, a dollop of Zhuangzi, some good takedowns of Freud and Skinner, some 7th grade reading level and a lot of charts. Put it together, and you get the surprisingly functional methodology that is CBT. Feeling Good is exactly the self-help book one would imagine when reading the phrase "drug-semi skeptic psychiatrist with long history of clinical work writes highly structured, accessible cognitive therapy book for the lay audience." If that sounds a little less than utte
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(2 people liked it)
Feb 28, 2009
Distortions:
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking (dichotomous thinking)
2. Over generalization
3. Mental Filter (selective abstraction)
4. Disqualifying the Positive (reverse alchemy) One of
.........the most destructive forms of cognitive
.........distortion.
5. Jumping to Conclusions
6. Magnification (Catastrophizing) Minimization
7. Emotional Reasoning - Negative feelings guide actions ....................(I feel it therefore it must be true.)
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1. All-or-Nothing Thinking (dichotomous thinking)
2. Over generalization
3. Mental Filter (selective abstraction)
4. Disqualifying the Positive (reverse alchemy) One of
.........the most destructive forms of cognitive
.........distortion.
5. Jumping to Conclusions
6. Magnification (Catastrophizing) Minimization
7. Emotional Reasoning - Negative feelings guide actions ....................(I feel it therefore it must be true.)
More...
Jan 01, 2009
Jane
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This book can help you identify twisted thinking and then change it to something more realistic. It was amazing to me to discover just how twisted, unhelpful and just plain irrational my thinking was! Most negative thinking falls into these categories. But so does "positive thinking" and affirmations -- they can be just as black and white, twisted and unhelpful. Feeling Good teaches you how to identify what Burns calls cognitive distortions and replace them with more rational and reaso
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 30, 2011
H.A.
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I wanted to enjoy and recommend this book, but I suspect they must have extensively rewritten the newer edition. I don't see how any self-respecting person can get far being called "delusional" and "silly" among other things, over and over again. The tone of this edition is just horrible, and the "blame the victim" mentality on top of the dismissal of often life-saving medications, forced me to just give up on this book before I was even through the first three or f
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(2 people liked it)
Apr 27, 2010
Tyler
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The basis of this pop psychology book is real. Essentially, much of our mood swings, the author says, stem from distortions of reality that lie within our conscious control to change, without needing the additional help of counseling or medication. Try this and you may end up saving your time and money.
This matches exactly what the rules of argumentation, of critical thinking, and of philosophy talk about all the time in reference to interpersonal discourse, so it's a psychological s More...
This matches exactly what the rules of argumentation, of critical thinking, and of philosophy talk about all the time in reference to interpersonal discourse, so it's a psychological s More...
Aug 10, 2011
Vincent
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Initially skeptical, as I am with all self-help books, but I have to say the scientific rigor in addition to the professional and caring aura of the book illustrate that Burns has seen all multitudes of people wanting help in their life. The cognitive therapy covered so far is extremely effective for me, a person previously diagnosed with clinical depression and possible bipolar II disorder. I am extremely grateful that this book was recommended to me. Very helpful in enjoying life more for a pa
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May 26, 2010
Catherine
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This book is based on a current philosophy of treatment for depression; cognitive behavioral therapy. The premise states that many times one may have distorted ways of thinking(based on various factors)which effect one's moods. The goal is to recognize then, through practice, challenge one's assumptions. Then after hard and daily work, one may form new pathways in the brain which are realistic and lead to a better mind set. Through years of therapy, I have learned that this is the best appro
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Jan 28, 2010
Tatiana
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This book saved me from the brink 5 years ago, by helping me to take control of my own negative spinning thoughts and applying Cognitive Rationale to them one at a time. It helped me go much farther in life and now, according to my new therapist, I have to revisit it. Bah!! Will i never learn to stop my catastrophic thinking permenantly? Anyways, whining aside, it's a much better option to do these simple exercises than drive myself to the madhouse for good. And the relief of not being a slave t
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Feb 01, 2011
Carlos
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Burns provides an easy-to-understand introduction to cognitive therapy and proposes a test that gauges one's mood to determine to what extent the reader is depressed, if at all. Then he goes on with practical advice on how to challenge distorted thoughts. His two-column techniques seem convincing. But he misses the point that emotions have to be welcomed and nurtured, not neglected and contradicted. This is reportedly the most recommended book by therapists, most probably because its ease of acc
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Jun 25, 2011
David
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While I thought this book to be a decent self-help book overall, I found it to be a mediocre application of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT hereafter) at best. I found the section on the cognitive distortions to be particularly helpful, but I felt many of the other sections could have been substantially improved.
Throughout this book, I had two persistent criticisms. The first is that this book was much longer than it needed to be. There was a great deal of repetition and, in my opi More...
Throughout this book, I had two persistent criticisms. The first is that this book was much longer than it needed to be. There was a great deal of repetition and, in my opi More...
Aug 07, 2011
ayanami
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A lot of good analysis on the thoughts and behaviours of depressed people. This book not only explains what happens to you and your thoughts when you're depressed and what to do about it but it also discusses how to prevent depression from re-occurring once you've gotten better. I like to review various parts of this book whenever I feel mildly depressed so I can remember what is happening to me and what I can do about it instead of just sitting around and feeling bad.
There are a lot More...
There are a lot More...
Apr 17, 2009
Jan
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I seriously love this book. I've referred to parts of it multiple times throughout the last 8 years or so of my life. This is the first time I've read it all the way through - in the past I've felt better about halfway through and quit reading. I don't recommend you do this - read it all!
Dr. Burns is a cognitive behavioral therapist who uses this book to teach you how to use your own thoughts to improve your moods. The basic premise is that all of our feelings are created by our thou More...
Dr. Burns is a cognitive behavioral therapist who uses this book to teach you how to use your own thoughts to improve your moods. The basic premise is that all of our feelings are created by our thou More...
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Jan 22, 2009
Markham
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This is the seminal book (for the commercial, not technical, world). The theory of psychology promulgated in this book revolutionized the industry at the start of the 1980's and did away with the archaic theories still in use.
This book reached me in a way that a dozen psychologists who all based their methods on its teachings failed to do.
I understand that the market found the book too prolix, and so Burns wrote the more laic The Feeling Good Handbook. I did not find this b More...
This book reached me in a way that a dozen psychologists who all based their methods on its teachings failed to do.
I understand that the market found the book too prolix, and so Burns wrote the more laic The Feeling Good Handbook. I did not find this b More...
May 08, 2008
Suzy
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All-time best all-around self-help book!
This book identifies some very common errors in our thinking that lead to depression, helps you become aware of them and arms you to defeat them. Some of them, using the author's terms, are All-or-Nothing Thinking, Disqualifying the Positive, Should Statements, and Labeling and Mislabeling.
For example, you tell yourself (even without realizing it), "I didn't do a perfect job on that project, it was a failure. I never do anythin More...
This book identifies some very common errors in our thinking that lead to depression, helps you become aware of them and arms you to defeat them. Some of them, using the author's terms, are All-or-Nothing Thinking, Disqualifying the Positive, Should Statements, and Labeling and Mislabeling.
For example, you tell yourself (even without realizing it), "I didn't do a perfect job on that project, it was a failure. I never do anythin More...
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Jan 07, 2008
Courtney
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"Feeling Good" outlines cognitive techniques for battling depression in the early chapters, then in the final 200 pages engages in a fairly in-depth discussion of brain chemistry and prescription drugs.
I came to this book already as a convert to cognitive behavioral techniques as a successful tool for conquering depression and anxiety, and author David Burns does a good job of explaining how these concepts work. The underlying idea is that people can overcome even severe m More...
I came to this book already as a convert to cognitive behavioral techniques as a successful tool for conquering depression and anxiety, and author David Burns does a good job of explaining how these concepts work. The underlying idea is that people can overcome even severe m More...
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Jan 04, 2009
Alison
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Next to the scriptures, this is my favorite book in the world!
It has changed my life more than any other book!
It has taught me to change the way I think!
It has taught me how to control my thoughts so I won't be led to bad behavior by my runaway emotions.
I can't say enough good about it!
It helps with anger, depression, low self esteem, need for approval etc. etc. etc.
A must have and must read often!!!!!
The more i read it, the less affected
It has changed my life more than any other book!
It has taught me to change the way I think!
It has taught me how to control my thoughts so I won't be led to bad behavior by my runaway emotions.
I can't say enough good about it!
It helps with anger, depression, low self esteem, need for approval etc. etc. etc.
A must have and must read often!!!!!
The more i read it, the less affected
Dec 28, 2009
Eric
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Here's the book in a nutshell: How you feel is entirely determined by your mental interpretation of things that happen to you. Nobody "makes" you unhappy, you decide that on your own. Most of the time, the information you use when deciding to feel depressed is based on false reasoning. Therefore, a great deal of depression can be treated by thinking through your reasoning, identifying distortions, and correcting the misconception.
The exercize that the authors give aga More...
The exercize that the authors give aga More...
Jun 21, 2008
Elaine
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I use David Burn's techniques from this book sometimes weekly, sometimes daily. I was familiarized with this book about 10 years ago and I still flip to page 40 to sort out "cognitive distortions." He has ways to pinpoint the thought processes that lead to sadness, anger, frustration, low self-image-- it is a logical and empowering tool to know how to quickly put out mental flares.
Just a few of these "cognitive distortions" include: All-or-nothing thinking (" More...
Just a few of these "cognitive distortions" include: All-or-nothing thinking (" More...
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Apr 08, 2010
Sterling
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Recommended to: Everyone
Very insightful.
A testament to the power of the human mind.
Until I read this book, little did I realize how many people go through life thinking irrational thoughts and how destructive these irrational thoughts can be.
Adolescent's books should be designed to teach the principles in this book as soon as brain development reaches the stage where this type of rational processing can be done.
Very insightful.
A testament to the power of the human mind.
Until I read this book, little did I realize how many people go through life thinking irrational thoughts and how destructive these irrational thoughts can be.
Adolescent's books should be designed to teach the principles in this book as soon as brain development reaches the stage where this type of rational processing can be done.
Nov 12, 2009
Crystal
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This book has changed my life, and I do not say this lightly. This is a remarkable work that encourages you to examine the relationships in your life, including the one you have with yourself, and provides extraordinary tools to fix the kinks that keep those relationship from being healthy and happy. If you have "issue relationships" or just have problems relating to people in general, I HIGHLY recommend this book.
Apr 13, 2011
Betsy
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I'm not usualy a big reader of self help books but someone reccommended this to me and I read it and I just re-read it. Re-reading it I'm amazed how many of the techniques I use all the time to help me be less reactionary and more at peace with all the difficult people and situations of life. This is a really fantastically good book, sometime a little corny but absolutely worth reading.
Aug 10, 2009
Joe
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this is a great one. whether you are depressed, sometimes get unhappy or just want to know how you can be more happy, this one is for you. it allows you to get away from the common distortions that we find ourselves in. there's a little survey that you take to see how happy or unhappy you are and it trains you on who to not let things take away your happiness. Its good.
Mar 14, 2009
Kim
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Re-reading this book to reacquaint myself with what I need to help me at this time...This is THE book on using CBT to treat depression. Although reading the entire book during a depressive episode is daunting. I would recommend reading only the chapters one needs to read during a depressive episode, then returning to the book and reading the rest when one is healthy.
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Sep 24, 2009
This book is basically CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) in a box; I read it a couple of years ago in conjunction with a therapy program and picked it up again for a refresher. The anti-drugs bit is almost as annoying as I remembered, although he doesn't argue you should never take drugs. He's just not a fan. The actual CBT part is what I read it for.
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Sep 15, 2010
Donna
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Fabulous book. Can help anyone with any type/degree of depression and even parents of depressed kids. Strong focus on changing thinking and behavior patterns rather than using drugs. Cites studies that show reading good self-help books can really help people improve their lives. I plan to read this author's other books.
