The Feeling Good Handbook by David D. Burns (1989-05-03)

This one's the real deal! Burns tackles our crazy thoughts that cause our emotions and helps us replace those thoughts with healthy, accurate, rational thoughts. It really isn't your mother-in-law whose making you feel bad about yourself, it's your thoughts about her that are. Believe me, I was amazed when I delved deep into my head and realized what was going on in that jungle!

What you must know about this book, though, is that this is not a 'read it and feel better' exercise. This is a handbook in every sense of the word; it won't leave your hands once you see the changes it is making in your life, and in order for these changes to really happen you have to fill out the blanks he leaves in the book. Sharpen your pencil, find a hiding place for it because really digging deep for your thoughts and writing them down, not just thinking the answers, is where the magic is. And who wants to share those thoughts with the rest of the world? Write your heart out, you'll be glad you did! (I did not read the section at the end of the book about medications commonly used for mental health problems, it would be a helpful resource for some, but I wasn't interested.)

In both this book and its predecessor ("Feeling Good"), David Burns has done an excellent job of putting tools into our hands so we can change the feelings and behaviors that we want to change. The tools in this book that I've found most helpful include (i) instruments to measure both anxiety and depression, (ii) a "pleasure-predicting sheet," (iii) a daily mood log to help identify and change unwanted feelings, and (iv) tools to help you overcome procrastination.
I agree with another reviewer who said that this book and "Feeling Good" overlap to a great extent, and I recommend this one. You don't need to read "Feeling Good" first, and the worksheets in this "Handbook" are larger and easier to copy and work with.
While Dr. Burns uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy, I strongly recommend that you also obtain "A Guide to Rational Living," by Albert Ellis. Dr. Ellis invented rational (cognitive) behavioral therapy in the mid-1950s and still writes, lectures, and works with clients. While Burns' books are generally better written than Ellis', Dr. Ellis teaches you how to use cognitive techniques more effectively than Dr. Burns does. Instead of just showing you how to recognize faulty thinking that produces unwanted feelings and behaviors and think of alternative thoughts, Dr. Ellis teaches you how to PERSUADE YOURSELF that this faulty thinking is both irrational and counter-productive. In my view, the difference in their approaches is similar to that between an intellectual discussion and a thoroughly persuasive speech. In order to make the desired changes, you need to convincingly and powerfully persuade yourself to change your thinking.
Together, this book and "A Guide to Rational Living" give you most all of the tools you need to experience the changes that you want in your feelings and behaviors. The approaches in both books require work. Passively reading them (or anything) will not lead to significant changes. The best news of all is this: There is hope! And you can have the tools at your fingertips.

As a person who has suffered with debilitating anxiety for more years than I care to mention, this book is a lifesaver. I am also a Christian and nothing in this book conflicts with my beliefs. The only way to feel better is to change the messages you are telling yourself and this book gives you the tools to do so. This is not a quick fix and my progress has been gradual but noticeable when I write down what I've accomplished. Don't measure your progress moment to moment because your emotions are changing all the time, but look at your progress weekly, monthly..etc and you'll see that you are getting better. My counselor recommended this book and it's worth it's weight in gold.

As a therapist I recommend this to patients who need to do home work on cognitive therapy for depression or anxiety. Some of the activities may seem lame on the surface but the technique works and repetition in the process makes it work effectively.

The book was an update and included current trends in medication, treatment, and a sound foundation for how this type of therapy actually works and how patients can use the techniques described to help themselves when depressed.

This is a workbook that deals with depression and anxiety. It strives to change the way you think, and if you are in fact depressed or anxious, that's probably a good idea. However, you MUST do the exercises in order to experience any change. I'm on chapter 5 now, and have found it insightful and useful, but it is not a quick fix. However, I do think it is quite helpful with or without a therapist and a whole lot better than simply popping a pill.

For persons who want to learn to get control over their emotions and better respond to the world around them, this book would be excellent. It gives practical real world examples of circumstances that people encounter in every day life. It helps you examine the way that you respond to things both mentally and emotionally. Great book for self-introspection and growth.

This book was extraordinarily helpful to someone close to me. She was clinically depressed and had just been released from the hospital after a suicide attempt. We read it together in small bites for the first few weeks, and then she was able to do it on her own. A therapist helped, loving family helped, meds helped---but this book was literally a lifesaver. The title suggest that it is useful for those of us (all?!) whose moods and lives need a little brightening. It is that---but is also useful for very severe mood disorders, including "borderline, "and gives control back to the reader. A truly essential book.

You CAN change the way you feel! This book teaches you easy and awesome techniques that (with some practice & patience) will help you get rid of that annoying negative voice in your head. I've been suffering from anxiety and depression and this book helped me heal MORE than 6 months of pshychotherapy did! I am now more aware of my thoughts and how they affect my mood. Thanks Dr Burns!!

If you want some techniques to help you feel better then this book is the way to do it. Its down to earth and realistic. If you just do what the author says you deffinately come out a winner and a better person.

Back in about 2007, a psychiatrist suggested I get this book to help with my self esteem. I did and it really boosted my self confidence. I tried to read the book again in 2012 because I was having problems, PTSD, and just couldn't really read it. Well, I'm ready to again, and so is my brother, who I boutique this book for. I look forward to hearing his review, and to get it and read it again.

This book explains how to develop control of thoughts, moods, feelings, and actions that feel out of control. Things that feel overwhelming, that feel like they're happening to you instead of being things you're doing. This is the one I recommend to other people who suffer with depression or anxiety. It works well; I've had it for over 3 years now and I still turn to it for help when I'm in a really challenging situation.

I've been recovered from depression and anxiety for over a year now, and the CBT techniques from this book have been a major help to my recovery.

This book is the absolute best self-help, non-chemical treatment for depression. I have purchased this for myself as well as for a few friends because it works. Informative, hands-on, logical approach explaining the "why's?" and ways to fix it using worksheets and the (very effective) cognitive therapy self-treatment. Advice: Read portions of the book at a time; DO the work; and you will feel better. ...without paying for therapy or drugs. Also, keep it close by for easy reference when you feel like you may be heading downward into depression.

This book is amazing!!! So many coping skills to learn and ways to use them in everyday living. I suffer from major depressive disorder and severe anxiety. I'm in a intensive outpatient group and they facilitate the way David Burns does. Filled with tools.

This book serves as a great tool to have alongside the original 'Feeling Good' book. It reinforces what you've already learned and then takes it a step further by adding additional information and making you relate it to your personal life. Definitely get this book, especially if you already have the original Feeling Good.

My therapist recommended I read this book. I had several "AHA" moments throughout the book. Now my only difficulty is in continuing to read and learn from it. It requires discipline but seems so right to me.

This is an excellent book describing cognitive based techniques for dealing with thoughts and affects. In english, this book helps you to see how thoughts, emotions, and behavior all interact with one another for better or worse.
This is a good text, but its also 2 inches thick. You have to be commmitted to reading this to get the real gems from it. But yes, it is worth the read.

This book has some good ideas and practices for reprogramming your thoughts when you find yourself unable to process adverse situations in a realistic way.

The writing style made this book very hard to read. The author "talks down" to his readers in a way that is very off-putting. If you can get past his arrogance, the author is able to identify negative thinking patterns and guide the reader to redirect those thinking patterns in a more productive direction that can reduce stress and anxiety, and internal and interpersonal conflict.

Great "bibliotherapy", this book is life changing! I bought both this and the book "feeling good." If you're on a budget I recommend just buying this. It basically includes all of the feeling good book with the included room for self exercises. I also far prefer the size of this book to the feeling good book. It has nice large pages. I recommend writing your responses to the exercises in a journal so that you can go back and do them again and again.

This is a wonderful book! I felt much better just from reading it, because it contains so many interesting stories about Dr. Burns' real clients. However, Dr. Burns provides ample opportunities for the reader to write down his or her own thoughts throughout the book, and these were most helpful. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt even just a little bit anxious or depressed. It will change your understanding of how your mind works.

This book is truly remarkable. Like his book on Panic, this is must read for depressives and those close to them. It is not a true self help book but if you are willing to do the work, wonders will occur. I recommend this highly.

The author's voice can come off as condescending at times, but I do find his approach to be practical and effective; Dr. Burns provides relatable examples and exercises designed to raise the reader's awareness of their own cognitive distortions. By completing the exercises as they were presented in the book, my engagement with the information helped me to better absorb and benefit from from it. I removed a star because this book was not available as an e-book and at this point there is really no excuse for that. Given the size and topic of this book, an e-book is a preferable format for many readers. The included exercises can be easily completed in a separate notebook/app, etc. as the reader encounters them in the text.

This book came to me very highly recommended by a Phd psychologist. Although I have just begun it, I can see how helpful it will be to me in working through the stull of daily life and old, self-defeating patterns. I plan to share it with several friends.