Feeling Good, the new mood therapy — Summary and Notes
by David D. Burns, MD. Link to book here.
All our moods are created by our cognitions (thoughts); our thoughts tend to be pervasively negative when we are depressed; negative thoughts cause negative emotions, which are, however, wildly distorted.
This is the key essence of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the behavioral approach to psychotherapy presented in this book by dr. Burns.
image source here.
“There is one and only one person in this world who has the power to threaten your self-esteem — and that is you.”
While we tend to believe that emotional responses are the first reactions when we are exposed to an external event (whether positive or negative), in fact, it is our interpretation of the event that makes emotions arise accordingly.
Situation —> Thought —> Emotion —> Behavior
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy postulates that we can control our thinking mind, by intervening psychologically with specific distortion-eliminating techniques. These behavioral techniques can help us get clarity of mind and objectivity back while fostering a growth-based mindset that is aware of how destructive negative thoughts may be to our daily life.
First of all, there are cognitive distortions going on in our minds, all the time. Cognitive distortions such as “all-or-nothing thinking”, “jumping to conclusions”, “disqualifying the positive” are detrimental to living a tranquil existence, as they interfere greatly with reality and put us on non-productive mental thought patterns.
“Your feelings are not facts! In fact, your feelings, per se, don't even count — except as a mirror of the way you are thinking. Your thoughts create your emotions; therefore, your emotions cannot prove that your thoughts are accurate.”
In order to sort things out and bring some clarity back where distortions brim, dr. Burns begins with the key principle of starting to build self esteem, which he considers at the basis of a less-negatively-polarized thinking mind. Secondarily, he presents some behavioral psychotherapy techniques that can foster a more objective and rational thinking. Techniques such as the “Double Column Method” and the “Daily Record of Dysfunctional Thoughts”.
“If you can love and respect yourself in failure, worlds of adventure and new experiences will open up before you, and your fears will vanish.”
In addition to this, dr. Burns explains some mental models and techniques for dealing with anger, guilt, procrastination, criticism.
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. Action comes first, and the motivation comes later on.
For detailed and actionable notes on how to apply the techniques of CBT to deal with negative thoughts in our life, you can click here.