Image: Feeling Good by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 9 out of 10. An excellent book on using CBT skills to identify and correct thought patterns that lead to depression and anxiety.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD, author of unJoy / 12.28.2020; No. 31
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a physician, but I’m not your doctor and this article does not create a doctor-patient relationship. This article is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should consult with your physician before you rely on this information. This post also contains affiliate links. Please click this LINK for the full disclaimer.
Star Rating – 9 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
David Burns
About the author
David Burns, MD, is a psychiatrist, author and researcher on methods of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). He has written several books on mental health topics and is most famous for his international bestseller, Feeling Good, originally published in 1980.
General description
Feeling Good is a classic book on CBT for the layperson and for decades it has been consistently recommended to patients by mental health clinicians. The premise of this book is: “You can defeat depression by changing the negative thinking patterns that cause it.” Dr. Burns provides convincing logical reasoning and time-tested strategies that help people more effectively get rid of depression and anxiety and develop a positive outlook on life. Topics covered in this book include:
Definitions of cognitive distortions that lead to emotional turmoil
Four Paths to Self-Esteem
Ways to address the “approval addiction” and identify and cope with three types of interpersonal rejection
Tools for dealing with anger
Methods to stop using achievement as a measure of self-worth
A rationale for putting an end to the “love addiction” and the emptiness it creates
Strategies to reduce and eliminate suicidal thoughts
Unique and most important aspects
Feeling Good has been one of the best-studied and most highly regarded self-help books on depression and anxiety for decades. It includes helpful patient examples and dialogues as well as checklists and rating scales for self-assessment and measuring progress. Dr. Burns offers many interesting strategies that can be used immediately in daily life. His logic is convincing, and his writing style is humorous and personal. There is no doubt that he cares passionately for both his patients and readers.
While Dr. Burns promotes CBT over psychiatric medication, over 1/3 of this 700+ page book is devoted to psychiatric medications. The information on medications is dated and omits many newer psychiatric medications. Also, some of the patient examples and research cited exhibit gender stereotyping. Important features of this book include:
Outlining specific methods for boosting self-esteem and self-confidence
Providing a persuasive argument against perfectionism and strategies for dealing with it
Describing the importance of role-playing and back-and-forth dialogue in cognitive behavioral therapy
Addressing lethargy, procrastination, low energy and low motivation
Giving examples of phrases for talking back to negative thoughts to overcome them
Confronting disabling beliefs about “fairness”
Distinguishing concepts of empathy versus sympathy and sadness versus depression
Extinguishing guilt
Explaining how to use the “Antiwhiner Technique” and the “Moorey Moaner Method”
Best quotes
“The name of this new type of treatment is ‘bibliotherapy’ (reading therapy). They discovered that Feeling Good bibliotherapy may be as effective as a full course of psychotherapy or treatment with the best antidepressant drugs.”
“Our research reveals the unexpected: Depression is not an emotional disorder at all! The sudden change in the way you feel is of no more causal relevance than a runny nose is when you have a cold. Every bad feeling you have is the result of your distorted negative thinking. Illogical pessimistic attitudes play the central role in the development and continuation of all your symptoms.”
“Motivation does not come first, action does! You have to prime the pump. Then you will begin to get motivated, and the fluids will flow spontaneously.”
“The demand or need for love before you can feel happy is called ‘dependency.’ Dependency means that you are unable to assume responsibility for your emotional life.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Mental health professionals who are interested in a classic self-help book on CBT for themselves or their patients or anyone looking for a resource on how to improve their mood would likely enjoy Feeling Good.
Who would not enjoy this book?
People who are looking for updated information on antidepressant medications or would be offended by gender stereotyping might not enjoy Feeling Good.
Conclusion
Feeling Good is an excellent book on using CBT skills to identify and correct thought patterns that lead to depression and anxiety.