Rating: 
Summary: Some Tempered Enthusiasm...
Review: I know many people, both family members and friends, who have found this book to be very helpful to them in learning to cope with depression and anxiety. In several cases, I think it could be argued that David Burns's book was life-changing, in that it helped them to feel well for the first time in their lives. That's impressive, and I don't want to knock something that has proved helpful to some. However, it is my opinion that this book is useful only to people who are mildly to moderately depressed, and/or individuals who suffer from somewhat transient bouts of anxiety or depression. I have suffered from both severe and mild depressions in the past, and have tried many different treatments (medication, IPT, CBT). Severe depression is, as far as I'm concerned, well beyond the scope of this book. I do not think anyone who is suicidally depressed will be helped by this book. In these cases, medication and/or hospitalization are necessary, and the benefits of talk therapy are limited at best. Burns seems to forget that someone who is severely depressed is often unable to think clearly at all, and is so physically and mentally exhausted that the thought of reading through a book like this is an absolute impossibility. I also think that the book comes across as a bit glib to anyone who has been seriously depressed/suicidal. Some of the patients he features in his book who he labels as "severely" depressed seem to be relatively high-functioning in their thought processes. This is the most evident to me in the chapter on suicide, where he seems to cure both a Holocaust survivor and a young teenage girl of suicidal feelings through a series of simplistic Socratic dialogues. I have been suicidal in the past, and I have a hard time believing that this kind of conversation would even be understood or appreciated in that state.I should note that Dr. Burns is refreshingly candid about the usefulness of antidepressant medications in treating some forms of depression. He also provides a good basic discussion of these drugs in one chapter. Most importantly, he is very careful to emphasize that anyone with severe and unremitting depression, with suicidal preoccupations, and/or with a history of mania should seek professional help and not just rely on this book. My own experience has been that all of the talk therapy in the world won't help unless I'm feeling "well", and this wellness has only ever been achieved through many trials of psychotropic drugs. Ever since I have found a good medication combination I have found that I have become considerably more optimistic, patient, calm, and better able to withstand small daily crises. I know that it is different for many people, but for me CBT has only ever been effective for me NOW, when I am better able to recognize and address my thinking processes. I worry that Dr. Burns's book may lead some people to believe that they have complete control over their emotions, or that their depression is largely caused by their "negative affect". As a psychology major I know that one of the big conundrums surrounding CBT is whether the negative schemas shown by depressed patients are present before the illness onset, or whether it is depression itself, and the biological changes that go along with it, that leads to the negative schemas. I don't think that it can be concluded (yet) that the negative schemas precede the depression.
Rating: 
Summary: Cognitive therapy...one of the few that works.
Review: And not just for depression. I find that the critical thinking skills taught in this book can be helpful for nearly everyone. After doing cognitive therapy for depression, I realized that even people who are not considered 'depressed' often make painful mistakes in logic which can lead to all sorts of problems...one possibility being depression. Yes, it may be a chemical disorder (I find Dr. Burns to be very objective in stating that ALL the evidence just isn't in yet) but is it going to do any good to tell someone with this disorder that it's all chemical and not in their power to control? I don't advocate blaming the patient for his/her problem, but people need to start taking as much responsibility as they can for the way they feel. This book can help you do that, even if you still depend on medication. I found that I did not need to take anti-depressants by using the techniques of cognitive therapy. I love logic, I love rational thinking, and I love feeling like I have control over my life and the way I feel. I do not want to surrender this freedom to drugs, or to thinking that my mind is just a bowlful of chemicals that I cannot control. Also, I find it a nice change compared to modes of therapy that dredge into your childhood and personal life to find someone else to blame. Sorry, but I don't feel like lying on a couch so some neo-Freud can get off on all the dirty little details of my sex life and potty training...for months or years. Cognitive therapy can work swiftly, and by spending 7 bucks on this book, you can avoid lining a scam artist's pocket with thousands of your dollars. Dr. Burns may be mushy at times, but I believe he is sincere in his mushiness...and putting up with it is a small price for learning a technique that can make your life better.
Rating: 
Summary: cognito ergo sum
Review: _The key to emotional enlightenment is the knowledge that only [my] thoughts can affect [my] moods_ David D. Burns M.D. After studying FEELING GOOD, written by Dr. David D. Burns, M.D., I have learned how to change the way that I think about things. I have also found that I can change my basic values and beliefs. This, according to Dr Burns, is what Cognitive Therapy is about. To be clear, I feel this is an excellent handbook for anyone with an interest in Cognitive Therapy. I strongly believe that a great number of people can find their life's situation improved by following the exercises prescribed by Dr Burns. At the same time, I don't know that Cognitive Therapy is a cure for every person who suffers from Clinial Depression. Dr Burns acknowledges this sentiment, writing that it would be unreasonable to expect to improve or recover after reading FEELING GOOD. The research cited in this text clearly indicates that while many people who read FEELING GOOD improved, others needed the additional help of a mental health professional. As a responsible health professional, Dr Burns understands that there are also limits to which a self-directed therapy may apply, _Let's assume that you do NOT have a strong suicidal urge, hallucinations, or symptoms of mania_. he cautions. For the rest of us who might be helped by a program of self-study in Cognitive Therapy, Dr. Burns provides a comprehensive tool. The first step is to diagnose my moods. A simple test is offered whose psychometric properties are discussed for the benefit of mental health professionals. This test is less important in determining a level of depression as it is in monitoring improvement. Periodic testing will reveal a change in the scores that will act as a positive reinforcement when improving, and will alert that a correction is required when declining. Before engaging in the exercises, I feel that it is important to understand the principles of Cognitive Therapy as Dr Burns has described them. A first principle is that ALL moods are created by cognitions or thoughts. The second principle is that when I am feeling depressed, my thoughts are distorted, and my thinking process is dysfunctional. Finally, it is the negative thoughts that cause my emotional turmoil and these are ALWAYS containers of gross distortions. The implication is that my depression is probably not based on accurate perceptions of reality but is often the product of mental slippage. The degree to which these principles are accepted will determine the efficacy of Dr Burn's program. Having taken the leap of faith required by Cognitive Therapy, the procedure is clearly articulated. The first step is to identify the cognitive distortion at work. It might be an overgeneralization, an unrealistic standard, a case of disqualifying the positive or another of the ten cognitive disorders provided by Dr Burns. The next step is to compose a rational response, an objective rebuttal. You won't need to create your own out of thin air because Dr Burns supplies a compendium of examples. Finally, a coping strategy designed to address the difficulty provides a path to relief. Although this brief overview does an injustice to the comprehensive tools presented in this handbook, it conveys the general idea that is common to nearly all of them. Give it a shot! See if you don't end up feeling a little bit better. There is really not much to lose and perhaps, a great deal to be gained. My interest is in spiritual matters. It is striking to me that the techniques presented by Dr Burns parallel many spiritual disciplines. In essence a choice is made as to where to apply my faith. Do I believe the circumstance, or my spiritual commitment? The techniques in this handbook have helped me to exercise my choice and strengthen my spiritual life. PEACE
Rating:
Summary: Best book of its kind
Review: This book explains CBT in a very simple an easy to read fashion. It was the first Burns book (he has several), and so doesn't contain all the exercises that he developed later. I own all the books and use them in my own therapy and also when dealing with clients. These techniques work. When incorporated correctly and dilligently followed, I believe anyone can benefit from these concepts. CBT is quite simple really. Your moods are created by your thoughts and how you view your world. Change the thoughts and your are on your way to managing your moods. One important note: Burns makes it time and time again in this book and the other books he has written. YOU MUST DO THE WRITTEN EXERCISES!! Otherwise you probably won't get it. Intellectual internalization by reading is not enough. You may learn a little but probably not enough to change your behavior or your moods. CBT is the leading technique in treating depression today.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, includes proactive assignments, could be better
Review: An excellent read with powerful therapeutic techniques and examples to change your attitude. Although I give it 4 stars, it could be better. Dr. Burns talks about getting back a lost relationship way too much and implies that your own communication skills and attitude are the reason for the breakup. The book does not address the underlying feeling of what happened to you in your past that generated the flawed thinking that you want to change. However, this is a very good tool for anyone who needs an attitude adjustment.
Rating:
Summary: IT WORKS!!!
Review: I was in a car crash that left me brain injured and crippled. It was the insights in this book that saved my life. It was given to me while I was in rehab by a friend, who had already benefitted from it, with the words, "READ IT". The best advice I ever had.
This book is not for everyone. It is for people who can think about life, and use those thoughts to reorganize the way they live. It made that process easier for me, but I fear there are many for whom this book will not be work. But if you are a READER, that is the sign, that it WILL WORK FOR YOU!
Rating:
Summary: Good Reference Guide
Review: Good book to remind yourself on a daily basis. Especially if you are feeling depressed or negative thoughts start entering the thought process.
Rating: 
Summary: Thinking good
Review: All about thinking good and the assumption that this will make you feel better.
Rating: 
Summary: Skeptical
Review: Anyone reading "Feeling Good" or any of Burns' other books (or books by his fellow CBT practitioners, eg, Aaron Beck and Martin Seligman) should approach with some skepticism. I've read several of Burns' books. He's a good writer, and I am sure that many find CBT helpful. However, my guess is that the chief advantage of CBT is that it teaches depressed persons how to mask their depression. I believe that CBT's techniques simply add a layer of positive thinking on top of an underlying depression. The patient learns to give the kinds of answers that the therapist wants to hear. I'd be grateful to hear from others about their experiences with CBT.
Rating:
Summary: It's not a cure all, but it helped me a lot.
Review: I read this book a few years ago and it helped me to understand what I was going through and to identify the symptoms I was experiencing that were directly related to depression. The more I learned about depression the better I was able to cope with the hell I was living in. Several years later I am still depressed but I made it through the worst in large part because of the answers I got from this book that no doctor ever discussed with me. It was extremely helpful for me to have my feelings and doubts validated and to know that help is available. Before reading this book I truly felt lost in a downward spiral with absolutely no hope. Even though reading the book did not cure me, it gave me the knowledge I needed to feel hope that some day this would be behind me; it was worth it for me to go on, taking life one day (or hour) at a time, and accept the fact that what I was going through was both real and curable. Even a glimmer of hope can make the difference between life and death for a severely depressed person; this book may have helped save my life.
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