Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
by David D. Burns
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Book Summary Information
Author: David D. BurnsEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-10-01
ISBN: 0380810336
Number of pages: 736
Publisher: Harper
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780380810338
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
Book Review: If you find this helpful, I'm glad, but I loathed it.
Summary: 2 Stars
I separate discussion of this book into two parts: general life philosophy versus treatment for depression, which I will deal with later. One over-arching statement that I would make is that Burns (and a lot of other social science experts) would benefit greatly from reading up on evolutionary psychology and game theory. Even if one doesn't accept that much of psychology is inborn and universal, they provide insight into the social uses, such as the maintainance of reciprocity, of "shoulds", "should-nots" and retaliation.
General Life Philosophy
On the positive side, everyone needs a certain amount of what this book is peddling, that is, the ability to intellectualize and gain objectivity about one's feelings. I do think, from experience, that one can learn a certain amount of desirable control over one's emotions but it is a lot of work, and calling it "choosing" one's emotions is too glib and flip.
Unfortunately, it is possible to do this too much, and while this is exactly what some people need, I think that it might be disastrous for people who have weak "boundaries" or problems with assertiveness. It cuts the ground from under their feet by claiming that they have no right to expect certain things from other people, like fidelity from a spouse or consideration from other family members. I suspect that this would effectively prevent them from doing anything to solve their problems other than effacing themselves.
Although he would deny it, Burns is saying that anyone who is angry, sad, hurt, etc., is the problem, there is never anything justification for their feelings. Therefore, the solution is always to change one's feelings, not one's situation. Burns gives the example of someone who is feeling dissed because he is getting bad service in a restaurant. Burns helps him understand that the waiter may be distracted, and therefore the patron shouldn't take it personally. That's fine as far as it goes, but what if the diner isn't feeling dissed, just hungry? I would recommend asking what happened to the order, not sitting there trying to convince oneself that it is unreasonable to expect a restaurant to serve a meal. He also ignores the relationship between the interacting parties. It's fine to ignore a pushy stranger that one may never see again. A bully that one has to work with needs to be dealt with.
Sometimes, one needs to learn to harness negative emotions to create the drive to make situational changes. Further, to me, although I presume not to Burns, there is a difference between accepting that one must make the best of a bad and unchangeable situation and asserting that there is no such thing as a bad situation, just bad reactions. One might decide, for various reasons, not to divorce an unfaithful spouse, but that doesn't mean that they are not behaving badly, or that one does not have the right to decide to end the relationship.
This book then has a very common problem: the assumption that there is one solution to life's problems that works in all situations and for all people. Another problem with these systems of dealing with interpersonal behavior is that they are rarely universal and obvious. They may work fine if all the interactors share the same assumptions and follow the same etiquette. Otherwise, the person/people using the system need to recognize that only they have decided to make this change and the reactions of others are yet to be determined. I suspect that if one unilaterally practiced Burns' advice, one would end up taking complete responsibility for all of one's relationships, since Burns argues that if one is unhappy, it is because of bad thoughts that one needs to eliminate. Meanwhile, everyone else is free to assert their wants/needs.
This idea of "other people don't make you angry (sad, happy, etc.), you make yourself angry, etc.," also implicitly says that people's reactions are totally unpredictable and one cannot learn ways of behaving toward other people that are more effective. There are, and I suspect, have to be, social norms for interpersonal conduct, however ambiguous and contradictory they may sometimes be. In a society like this, people are generally held to be free to renegotiate private arrangements, but I don't think that societies and relationships can function without expectations. In fact, if one refrains from gratuitously insulting people and learns to share, one will probably get along better with other people. It is certainly tricky deciding/negotiating what is a reasonable expectation, but I don't think that this book helps.
Along this line, I dislike the book's amorality. I gather by Burns' remarks that I am not the first person to suggest this, but if our distress over a partner's infidelity is caused by our "choice" to be upset, not by their action, then it logically follows that it doesn't matter how we behave. The reaction of other people is their "choice" and how are we to know how they will react? If we mug someone, then it is their "choice" to be upset at being injured and robbed, why should we be hauled into court?
I have also found that no-one I know who spouts this philosophy actually lives it. The trainer who was supposed to be teaching my office to get along better through these techniques threw a tantrum when someone asked a "disrespectful" question that I thought was very germane. If a person does not personally live by this advice, it may seem rather callous when it is recited to other people.
Dealing with Depression
I can well believe that this book can be very helpful for people dealing with anxiety: maybe they can learn not to worry about what may never happen.
As to dealing with depression, the supposed focus of this book, I don't think that this will help for serious cases. Burns tells us that one of his patients simply got up and ran out of his office without saying good-bye. He was puzzled by this, but I find it perfectly understandable. Yes, this kind of thing and various other little tricks can help when one is a little down or in a funk or feeling whiny or slightly anxious. This type of thinking sometimes depresses me further since it could be taken as implying that if I am not happy now, I never will be. Moreover, I am skeptical that severe depression results from the kind of "negative" thinking that Burns is dealing with here. Burns has now started including discussions of psychoactive drugs in his books, which I consider to be a sort of admission that this is true.
The reader might also want to consult Alan Downs' The Half-Empty Heart: A Supportive Guide to Breaking Free from Chronic Discontent, which focuses on dysthymia, chronic or minor depression, which Downs call chronic discontent. In his appendix, he argues that studies have shown that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) such as Burns recomends is not effective since dysthymia rises from an inability to handle the emotions of relationships, not from self-defeating beliefs.
Summary of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
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 Anti-depressant Drugs as well as a new introduction to help answer your questions about the many options available for treating depression.- Recognise 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
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