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mthorley23's review against another edition
3.0
A 3 for content but it was not enjoyable and too much unnecessary swearing. A bit patronizing and dense. Good info though.
yungokssss's review against another edition
3.0
I liked some aspects of this book, especially as it pertained to how to positively delude yourself (a life skill I am starting to see I lack but that may be crucial in not feeling like killing yourself every four seconds). A section particularly helpful for me (I believe it was Chapter 14) was the one on all or nothing thinking found in perfectionism.
Now on to some things I noticed that were not very chill of Doc Burns:
- Very condescending tone
- Casual sexism
- Occasional alluding to the immediate annihilation of depression after a session
Would I read this again? No. However, did have some helpful points.
Now on to some things I noticed that were not very chill of Doc Burns:
- Very condescending tone
- Casual sexism
- Occasional alluding to the immediate annihilation of depression after a session
Examples:
- "I had a client... we spoke... she realized "x" and her depression melted in that moment."
- Direct quote -"[the client] experienced immediate emotional relief and her urge to commit suicide disappeared." I mean we all have our moments of relief but does complete healing really happen in mere seconds?
Would I read this again? No. However, did have some helpful points.
randyesquire's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve read more “self-help” books than I can remember in search of an easier fix to my anxiety. However, I read this book after both medical and cognitive therapy and this book served as a TREMENDOUS supplement. Even if you don’t suffer from depression, this book is amazing as we all suffer from negative thinking patterns from time-to-time. I hope there’s a 202x update soon!
averyreadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I like rereading this book when I feel a depression coming around. It has some great tools to help get better and really helps you understand the distortions and filters your brain is making during that time and to recognize them and work against them.
jesshuang24's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this book is looking in a mirror of all the terrible things I've been too afraid to understand about myself, then gives me tools to talk back and dig deeper. It's quite good and I've only done the exercises for 2 weeks (specifically cognitive distortions which is fire, like learning the fundamental probability distributions and unlocking a whole world of data).
User beware though, it takes a lot of determination to actually do the exercises haha, Jess of 2019 or honestly anytime before 2022 was just not ready to work this hard to feel good (which is fine! just a disclaimer that this book SLAPS when there's a lot of effort in the tank and headspace for the tasks presented but otherwise this book can be another opinionated but forgettable self-help book)
User beware though, it takes a lot of determination to actually do the exercises haha, Jess of 2019 or honestly anytime before 2022 was just not ready to work this hard to feel good (which is fine! just a disclaimer that this book SLAPS when there's a lot of effort in the tank and headspace for the tasks presented but otherwise this book can be another opinionated but forgettable self-help book)
nrt43's review against another edition
4.0
Feeling Good is both utterly brilliant and yet limited. To learn about cognitive distortions, I can't imagine a better resource. It's so good, in fact, that at least 6 scientific studies have been done just on this book, studying how well simply reading it does for reducing symptoms of depression. Bibliotherapy is a thing, and this is perhaps the book for improving your life simply by reading.
That being said, the book is limited (I believe) because its premise is an overstatement. CPT (Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy) - the subject of the book - is based on the idea that our moods are caused by our thoughts. Therefore, by controlling your thoughts, you will control you mood. Your first impulse, or at least mine, was complete skepticism. The more I read, the more convinced I became of my own cognitive distortions. In fact, you can rest assured that your cognitive distortions affect your moods (and your life) much more than you realize, or would like to admit. That is the brilliance and power of this book, and I can hardly recommend it enough.
That being said, I happen to follow this book with another, The Body Keeps the Score, to learn the brain is much more complicated than Feeling Good lets on. Our moods/feelings are often controlled and influenced by parts of the brain that are not rational.
For the rational person, and one lucky enough to avoid much trauma, it's a perfect a resource. Or if you're wanting to learn about CBT and your own cognitive distortions, it's great! For those with more trauma, I'd recommend The Body Keeps the Score or something like it.
That being said, the book is limited (I believe) because its premise is an overstatement. CPT (Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy) - the subject of the book - is based on the idea that our moods are caused by our thoughts. Therefore, by controlling your thoughts, you will control you mood. Your first impulse, or at least mine, was complete skepticism. The more I read, the more convinced I became of my own cognitive distortions. In fact, you can rest assured that your cognitive distortions affect your moods (and your life) much more than you realize, or would like to admit. That is the brilliance and power of this book, and I can hardly recommend it enough.
That being said, I happen to follow this book with another, The Body Keeps the Score, to learn the brain is much more complicated than Feeling Good lets on. Our moods/feelings are often controlled and influenced by parts of the brain that are not rational.
For the rational person, and one lucky enough to avoid much trauma, it's a perfect a resource. Or if you're wanting to learn about CBT and your own cognitive distortions, it's great! For those with more trauma, I'd recommend The Body Keeps the Score or something like it.
chchchazley's review against another edition
5.0
Helpful and interesting, Feeling Good includes enough easy-to-replicate activities to be worthwhile as bibliotherapy and enough stories about Dr. Burns's patients to be a readable book. It's well worth reading if you find yourself dealing with periodic depression, anxiety, anger, or low self-esteem, and some of the things I learned have already made a noticeable difference in my moon.
It's not perfect; Dr. Burns definitely comes off as dismissive of antidepressant medications, and the entire book is an oversimplification of a complex therapeutic technique. It's also outdated in some minor ways (at one point, someone talks about getting a resume "professionally typed," which made me laugh).
But in all, I think this is one valuable piece of a larger discussion of therapy and mental health, not to be taken by itself, but certainly to be included.
It's not perfect; Dr. Burns definitely comes off as dismissive of antidepressant medications, and the entire book is an oversimplification of a complex therapeutic technique. It's also outdated in some minor ways (at one point, someone talks about getting a resume "professionally typed," which made me laugh).
But in all, I think this is one valuable piece of a larger discussion of therapy and mental health, not to be taken by itself, but certainly to be included.
stuffsamdoes_'s review against another edition
4.0
I had someone reccomend this book to me and it gave me a lot to think about! Pick up a copy, you won't regret it!