Summary of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns

Feeling Good is a self-help book written by psychiatrist David D. Burns and published in 1980. It is one of the most popular and influential self-help books of all time, and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book has sold over 5 million copies.

The book is describes the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of therapy that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns. Burns argues that our emotions are largely determined by our thoughts, and that by changing our thoughts, we can change our emotions.

The book is based on the premise that our emotions are caused by our thoughts, not by external events. Burns identifies ten common cognitive distortions that can lead to negative emotions, such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, mental filtering, disqualifying the positive, jumping to conclusions, catastrophizing, emotional reasoning, should statements, labeling yourself, and personalization.

Burns teaches readers how to identify and challenge their cognitive distortions, and replace them with more realistic and positive thoughts. He also provides a variety of other techniques for improving emotional well-being, such as keeping a thought record, practicing relaxation techniques, and taking behavioral action.

Feeling Good has been praised by many for its effectiveness in helping people overcome depression, anxiety, and other emotional problems. It is a well-written and easy-to-understand book that can be used by people of all ages and backgrounds.

The book is divided into four parts:

Part 1: The Mood Revolution

In this part, Burns introduces the basic principles of CBT and explains how our thoughts affect our emotions. He also discusses the different types of cognitive distortions, which are common negative thought patterns that can lead to depression and anxiety.

Part 2: The Feeling Good Techniques

In this part, Burns provides specific techniques for identifying and challenging cognitive distortions. He also discusses how to develop more realistic and positive thought patterns.

Part 3: Putting It All Together

In this part, Burns applies the Feeling Good techniques to a variety of common emotional problems, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and relationship problems.

Part 4: The Feeling Good Lifestyle

In this part, Burns discusses how to make changes to your lifestyle that can support your emotional well-being. He covers topics such as stress management, sleep, diet, and exercise.

Here is a summary of the ten cognitive distortions identified by Burns:

• All-or-nothing thinking: Seeing things in black and white, with no shades of gray. For example, thinking "If I don't get this job, my life is over."
• Overgeneralization: Drawing broad conclusions based on a single event or piece of evidence. For example, thinking "I'm a loser because I didn't get the job."
• Mental filtering: Focusing on the negative aspects of a situation and ignoring the positive. For example, thinking about all the things you did wrong on the job interview, and not thinking about all the things you did right.
• Disqualifying the positive: Attributing positive events to external factors, such as luck, chance, or the help of others. For example, thinking "I only got the job because the interviewer liked my hair."
• Jumping to conclusions: Making assumptions without all the facts. For example, thinking "The interviewer didn't smile at me, so I must have done something wrong."
• Catastrophizing: Assuming that the worst will happen. For example, thinking "If I don't get this job, I'll never be able to support myself."
• Emotional reasoning: Believing that your emotions are always accurate reflections of reality. For example, thinking "I feel depressed, so I must be a loser."
• Should statements: Having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. For example, thinking "I should be perfect all the time."
• Labeling yourself: Putting negative labels on yourself, such as "loser," "failure," or "stupid."
• Personalization: Blaming yourself for things that are outside of your control. For example, thinking "It's my fault the interviewer didn't smile at me."

Here are some tips for challenging cognitive distortions:

• Identify the distortion: The first step is to identify the cognitive distortion that you are experiencing. You can do this by keeping a thought record, in which you write down your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in different situations.
• Challenge the evidence: Once you have identified the distortion, challenge the evidence that you have to support it. Ask yourself if there is any evidence to support the distortion, or if there is evidence that contradicts it.
• Consider alternative explanations: Consider other possible explanations for the situation. For example, if you are thinking "I'm a failure because I didn't get the job," consider other possible explanations, such as the fact that the interviewer may have been looking for someone with different qualifications or experience.
• Replace the distortion with a more realistic thought: Once you have challenged the distortion and considered alternative explanations, replace the distortion with a more realistic thought. For example, instead of thinking "I'm a failure because I didn't get the job," you could think "I didn't get the job, but that doesn't mean I'm a failure. I have many other skills and talents, and I'm confident that I will find another job that is a good fit for me."

It is important to note that challenging cognitive distortions can be difficult. It takes time and practice to learn to identify and challenge your distortions, and to replace them with more realistic thoughts. However, with practice, you can learn to change your thoughts and improve your emotional well-being.

Here is a more detailed summary of the key concepts of the book:

Your thoughts create your emotions.

Burns argues that our emotions are not directly caused by external events, but by our thoughts about those events. For example, if you fail a job interview, you might feel sad or disappointed. But if you have negative thoughts about yourself, such as "I'm a failure" or "I'm not good enough," you will feel even worse.

This is because our thoughts trigger our emotions. When we have a negative thought, it activates the amygdala, a part of the brain that is responsible for processing fear and other negative emotions. This can lead to a cascade of physical and emotional changes, such as increased heart rate, sweating, and feelings of anxiety.

On the other hand, when we have a positive thought, it activates the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that is responsible for higher-order cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making, and emotional regulation. This can lead to feelings of calm, happiness, and well-being.

Cognitive distortions are the main cause of negative emotions.

Cognitive distortions are common negative thought patterns that can lead to depression, anxiety, and other emotional problems. Burns identifies ten common cognitive distortions:

1.  All-or-nothing thinking: Seeing things in black and white, with no shades of gray. For example, thinking "If I don't get this job, my life is over."

2.  Overgeneralization: Drawing broad conclusions based on a single event or piece of evidence. For example, thinking "I'm a loser because I didn't get the job."

3.  Mental filtering: Focusing on the negative aspects of a situation and ignoring the positive. For example, thinking about all the things you did wrong on the job interview, and not thinking about all the things you did right.

4.  Disqualifying the positive: Attributing positive events to external factors, such as luck, chance, or the help of others. For example, thinking "I only got the job because the interviewer liked my hair."

5.  Jumping to conclusions: Making assumptions without all the facts. For example, thinking "The interviewer didn't smile at me, so I must have done something wrong."

6.  Catastrophizing: Assuming that the worst will happen. For example, thinking "If I don't get this job, I'll never be able to support myself."

7.  Emotional reasoning: Believing that your emotions are always accurate reflections of reality. For example, thinking "I feel depressed, so I must be a loser."

8.  Should statements: Having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. For example, thinking "I should be perfect all the time."

9.  Labeling yourself: Putting negative labels on yourself, such as "loser," "failure," or "stupid."

10.               Personalization: Blaming yourself for things that are outside of your control. For example, thinking "It's my fault the interviewer didn't smile at me."

You can change your emotions by changing your thoughts.

Once you identify your cognitive distortions, you can start to challenge them and replace them with more realistic and positive thoughts. Burns provides a variety of techniques for doing this, such as the following:

• Identifying cognitive distortions: The first step is to identify the cognitive distortions that are leading to your negative emotions. You can do this by keeping a thought record, in which you write down your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in different situations. Once you have identified your cognitive distortions, you can start to challenge them. You can do this by asking yourself questions such as:
• Is this thought really true?
• Is there any evidence to support it?
• What would a more realistic thought be?
• Challenging cognitive distortions: Once you have identified your cognitive distortions, you can start to challenge them. You can do this by asking yourself questions such as:
• Is this thought really true?
• Is there any evidence to support it?
• What would a more realistic thought be?
• Replacing cognitive distortions with more realistic thoughts: Once you have identified and challenged your cognitive distortions, you can start to replace them with more realistic and positive thoughts. For example, if you have the cognitive distortion "I'm a failure because I didn't get the job," you could replace it with the more realistic thought "I didn't get the job, but that doesn't mean I'm a failure. I have many other skills and talents, and I'm confident that I will find another job that is a good fit for me."

Burns also emphasizes the importance of taking action to support your emotional well-being. This includes things such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and spending time with loved ones.

Conclusion

Feeling Good is a book about how to change your thoughts and improve your emotions. David D. Burns argues that our emotions are caused by our thoughts, not by external events. He identifies ten common cognitive distortions that can lead to negative emotions, and provides a variety of techniques for challenging them and replacing them with more realistic and positive thoughts.

Burns also emphasizes the importance of taking action to support your emotional well-being. This includes things such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and spending time with loved ones.

Feeling Good is a powerful book that has helped millions of people overcome depression, anxiety, and other emotional problems. It is a well-written and easy-to-understand book that can be used by people of all ages and backgrounds.