Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated [Mass Market Paperback]

David D. Burns (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A book to read and re-read!" -- Los Angeles Times

Product Description

FEELING GOOD FEELS WONDERFUL
The good news is that anxiety, guilt, pessimism, procrastination, low self-esteem, and other "black holes" of depression can be cured without drugs.In FEELING GOOD, eminent psychiatrist, David D. Burns, M.D., outlines the remarkable, scientifically proven techniques that will immediately lift your spirits and help you develop a positive outlook on life. Now, in this updated edition, Dr. Burns adds an ALL-NEW CONSUMER'S GUIDE TO ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS as well as a new introduction to help answer your questions about the many options available for treating depression.

- Recognize what causes your mood swings
- Nip negative feelings in the bud
- Deal with guilt
- Handle hostility and criticism
- Overcome addiction to love and approval
- Build self-esteem
- Feel good everyday

BEGIN NOW, TO EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF FEELING GOOD

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Harper; Reprint edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380810336
• ISBN-13: 978-0380810338
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (260 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #1 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Cognitive
  #2 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Aging > Depression
  #2 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Mental Health > Anxiety Disorders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Think Good, Feel Good, November 14, 2009

By	Henry - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated (Mass Market Paperback)

The title of my review is actually a summary of how this book plans to make you feel better.

The book is authored by a someone who has had a lot of experience using cognitive therapy techniques to try and improve people's depression. Cognitive therapy's premise is that your thinking (messages that you are giving yourself all day long) directly inflences your moods and how you feel. Therefore, if you are thinking negatively, you're going to feel that way. Likewise, if you think positive and optimistically, well, you're going to feel good!

And that's what the book is about- getting you to get rid of negative thoughts and replacing them with good ones. Does it work? Well, the book has been around since 1980, and there's actually been some good solid research that has actually taken the book, given it to depressed patients.....and they've improved!

With its easy writing style and research-backed techniques, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy +Revised and Updated is definitely worth the read- just know you've got over 500+ pages ahead of you. If this seems too daunting, or this approach doesn't appeal to you, try something like Exercise Beats Depression- which has been shown to be just as effective as cognitive therapy or drugs in controlled trials. Good luck!

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Intro to CBT and Antidepressants, July 17, 2005

By	D. S. Heersink "D. Stephen Heersink" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated (Mass Market Paperback)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a proven self-help method for improving two conditions that afflict more people every decade: (1) depression, and (2) anxiety. As a self-help book, I found other self-help books to be clearly superior: E.g., Albert Ellis' "A Guide to Rational Living," and Elliot Cohen's "What Would Aristotle Do?"

Burns' book is good, but these two other books are substantially better. According to CBT and REBT (which is a variant of CBT), our pattern of thinking often leads us into depressive moods and high anxiety. Retooling our thinking process does much to alleviate moods and reduce anxiety. Obviously, endogenous depression still requires medication, but many people who experience exogenous depression are apparently able to avoid all medication with the help from these books. For that reason alone, these books are goldmines.

Our destructive thinking, whether or not one is depressed or anxious, often leads us into blind alleys and self-destructive behavior. Burns', Cohen's, and Ellis' books make great strides in helping one overcome the destructive thought processes by helping one think more critically. By shining light on our thinking process and how to think critically, many people's depression and anxiety are significantly assauged.

What these the Cohen and Ellis books lack, Burns appropriately provides: Probably the best general information on antidepressant and antianxiety medications in print. If you are on, or are considering, antidepressant or antianxiety medications, Burns' book is one of the best lay resources available.

Surprisingly, many physicians who prescribe these medications lack the basic information that Burns fortunately provides. He distinguishes between SSRIs, TCAs, MAOs, etc. (Don't worry if you don't know these acronyms. Burns explains them thoroughly, and just as importantly, provides profiles of their side effects.) No naive patient of antidepressants ought overlook this very helpful book.

466 of 606 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Self-Help Books, July 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated (Mass Market Paperback)

I have been dealing with anxiety and depression for many years and have read just about every type of book imaginable. The only reason I'm writing this review is that I found this book to be the best overall work I have ever read in the realm of self-help psychology.

One of the greatest parts about the book is that Dr. Burns' model of cognitive behavioral therapy is very thorough, yet it is easy to understand and incorporate into one's daily living. He recommends cognitive behavioral therapy as the first line defense in dealing with mood disorders. However, the beauty of the book lies in the fact that Dr. Burns does not simply dismiss psychotropic medications. He clearly states that medications in addition to his therapeutic techniques are wholly appropriate for many people. In fact, it this updated edition he goes into detail about the different classes and types of drug options available on the market today. This approach is refreshing for someone who is benefitting from the use of medication and wanting to incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy into their recovery without having to read a book which outright dismisses the role of medication in treatment.

Also of special significance is his list of 10 'Cognitive Distortions'. Here, he lays out a plan for recognizing faulty thinking, how these thoughts affect our moods, and how to correct these distortions.

In summation, Dr. Burns' book is a practical encapsulation of the ideas and theories of some of the great pioneers in the field of mental health such as Drs. Abraham Low, Albert Ellis, and Aaron Beck.

If you made it this far to decide whether or not to buy this book, read some of the other reviews then put it in your cart.