I bought this for a friend of mine because she was in a rough spot in her life and looked so lost that she might never recover. She had always had self esteem issues throughout high school and college wasn't panning out any better. She's told me that this has helped her gain new perspective on how much she is worth as a person and has given her greater understanding of how truly strong she is as a person.
I read through a few chapters before I gave the book to her, and I found that the positive reinforcements as well as the methods for getting out of depressed ruts started to help me just from flipping through the book. To this day I try to use some of the ideas outlined in this guide to keep myself from ragging on my capabilities.

I would recommend this to everyone.

There were times when I was reading this book that I had to flip it over to make sure it wasn't written specifically for me. It was such an unbelievable eye-opener.

My psychologist recommended that I buy this book and reading it has completely changed the way I view the world. Dr. Burns outlines all of the cognitive distortions, or ways of thinking, that can cause depression and gives advice on how to change this pattern of thinking to improve your mood and outlook on life.

Not only does he talk in-depth about negative and distorted ways of thinking, Dr. Burns also talks about symptoms that go along with depression like fatigue, loneliness and lack of motivation. His suggestions to beat these symptoms really work and can turn your life around.

Reading this book has freed me from many of my distorted views that forced my life onto a narrow path that I was convinced I couldn't follow. I still keep the book around as a reference and I read it again every once in a while to refresh my memory and make sure that I am no longer promoting depression and anxiety.

This book is not only a wise purchase, it is a solid investment into your life.

My psychologist had this on her shelf, and I asked her about it after hearing several recommendations from people who were not psychologists. She said that it's regarded by people in the field as one of the best books out there for cognitive behavioral therapy.

If you are in a position to afford a good therapist, that should be your first route. But for those of us who can't afford therapy, or who want a tool to add to therapy, this book is great!

Obviously, it's written in a very general manner, so that you can apply it to a wide variety of circumstances in your own life. That generic feeling can sometimes be frustrating, but there's no way it could really be any better. (Again, why seeing a therapist is a good idea if it's available to you.)

The key to getting something out of the book: DO THE EXERCISES. Even if they feel silly, or like they're not going to help. They will help. Do them! Dr. Burns helpfully includes a depression inventory at the start of each chapter, and you will see your depression score get lower and lower as you go along. It works.

I bought this book years ago. I have been through a lot of therapy and groups in the mental health system. I read this book before going to some of the groups. They had classes on his cognitive behavioral therapy. They didn't credit him, but they used the ideas. This was one of the best books I've found on mental health. I had a lot of depression. It showed me how my thoughts were creating my emotions. It pointed out all the flaws in my thinking, and gave some ideas to help. If you haven't been getting what you want from therapy maybe this is just what you need. It was the beginning of a new way of looking at things. It is one of the many great books that helped change my life.

"Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy", by Dr David D. Burns, was recommended to me from my therapist when I was a young adult dealing with depression from child abuse. As stated, this book was a tremendous help to me with dealing with guilt and depression. My experience left me introverted and lonely. The life examples in the book can relate to all ages from young adult through adulthood. My demonstrating the principles given in this book I turned my life around. I had a family, started a career, and reach emotional peace.

A couple years back, I was diagnosed with Cancer. I was feeling alone and anxiety of my future health was hanging over my head. While attending one of my chemotherapy sessions I came across this book in their library. I had remembered how it had helped me so many years ago and picked it up again. This is a book that can be read and re-read throughout times of difficulty. "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" is a great way to help overcome some of your worst fears and do so without medication.