Image: Feeling Great by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 9 out of 10. An exceptional book on identifying and correcting thought patterns that lead to depression and anxiety.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD, author of unJoy / 12.23.2020; No. 28
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 created a form of psychotherapy called TEAM-CBT, which is reported to be more effective for addressing resistance in the therapeutic process than traditional CBT. He has written several books on mental health topics and is most famous for his international bestseller, Feeling Good.
General description
While there is some overlap in concepts and a couple of repeated patient vignettes, Feeling Great largely presents original ideas and is not simply a rehash of Dr. Burns’ earlier book, Feeling Good. Feeling Great is about improving depression and anxiety by changing maladaptive thoughts through CBT, which is arguably one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy. In Feeling Great, Dr. Burns describes the methods and strategies of his own version of CBT, called TEAM-CBT, which breaks through roadblocks in therapy. The book elaborates on Dr. Burns’ main message, which is, “When you CHANGE the way you THINK, you can CHANGE the way you FEEL.” Topics covered in this book include:
The Cognitive Distortions Quiz
The concept of a Recovery Circle, which involves a sequential approach to addressing negative, unbalanced thoughts
The Five Secrets of Effective Communication (EAR)
E = Empathy
A = Assertiveness
R = Respect
Fifty Ways to Untwist Your Thinking
Strategies for Defeating Dysfunctional Thoughts
The concept of the “Four Great Deaths” and how they relate to therapy and emotional functioning
Unique and most important aspects
Feeling Great accurately claims to be “The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety.” TEAM-CBT approaches are revolutionary and powerful in helping depression and anxiety. If you are in therapy and not getting better, chances are you are experiencing resistance, which is an unconscious process in your brain that blocks improvement. Feeling Great is one of the few therapy books that effectively address resistance in therapy. This book feels like a combination of a book and a manual and the reader is encouraged to engage with the text and write in their responses. Dr. Burns personalizes his concepts/approaches through interesting patient stories. Dr. Burns shares dozens of concepts to help the reader get unstuck in their negative thoughts, anxiety and depression. Important features of this book include:
Introducing new concepts for addressing resistance, such as the “magic button” and the “magic dial”
Addressing resistance before trying to help or “fix” someone who is suffering from depression or anxiety
Using a variety of rating scales for self-assessment and measuring progress
Explaining the disarming technique of the Law of Opposites
Demonstrating the power of exposure for phobias
Using a variety of techniques with the goal of “failing as fast as you can” until you find the most effective strategy for improving mood and anxiety
Listing Twenty-Three Common Self-Defeating Beliefs
Introducing novel concepts/approaches such as the Double Standard Technique, the Semantic Method and the “theory of interpersonal relativity”
My only point of disagreement with the author was his conclusion that antidepressant medication is ineffective, as there is extensive medical research showing the efficacy of medications (and other non-psychotherapy interventions) in the treatment of severe depression and anxiety.
Best quotes
“Roughly 65% individuals with depression who were given a copy of my first book, Feeling Good, improved substantially within four weeks without any other treatment.”
“That’s the great thing about positive reframing: It can help you develop some empathy for yourself. Instead of hating yourself and feeling ashamed of being ‘damaged’ or ‘defective,’ you can be proud of all your negative feelings as you discover so many beautiful things about yourself. And that type of internal acceptance, or ‘self-empathy,’ is really the most important key to recovery. It’s not something that others can give you but it is something you can give yourself.”
“Over the past several decades, I’ve developed more than fifty methods to crush the negative thoughts that cause depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and habits and addictions.”
“Most individuals with anxiety will insist there’s nothing wrong, even when something is eating away at them. They’re not lying or being intentionally deceptive. They just can’t bring the hidden emotion or problem to conscious awareness. This ‘hidden emotion’ phenomenon seems to be very specific for people with anxiety. I’ve seen it in about 75% of anxious people I’ve treated.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Mental health professionals who would like an introduction to powerful techniques for patients who have not improved with “treatment as usual” would likely enjoy Feeling Great. Anyone looking for a book that explains why medications and therapy have failed to help their depression and anxiety and what to do about it would also likely enjoy this book.
Who would not enjoy this book?
People who would be offended by the negative comments about psychiatric medications or are skeptical about a one-size-fits-all approach to complex conditions such as depression and anxiety might not enjoy Feeling Great.
Conclusion
Feeling Great is an exceptional book on identifying and correcting thought patterns that lead to depression and anxiety.