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A review by nrt43
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns
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.