Quotes from David D. Burns

I asked her to imagine that we had a magic button and that if she pushed it, all of her negative thoughts and feelings would instantly disappear, with no effort at all, and she'd immediately feel joyous, even euphoric. Would she push the button?

I told Maria that I didn't have a magic button, but I did have some awesome tools, and I predicted that if we used them, she'd probably feel a whole lot better by the end of the session and might even feel joyful. But I told her I wasn't so sure it would be a good idea to use those tools.

Every time you feel depressed about something, try to identify a corresponding negative thought you had just prior to and during the depression. Because these thoughts have actually created your bad mood, by learning to restructure them, you can change your mood.

What are some benefits, or advantages, of this negative thought or feeling? How might it be helping you and your baby?

What does this negative thought or feeling show about you and your core values that's positive and awesome?

If the comments are wrong, there is really nothing for you to be upset about. On the other hand, if the criticism is accurate, there is still no reason for you to feel overwhelmed. You're not expected to be perfect.

Your orbit is certainly big and fancy in comparison with mine. But I don't understand how that makes you a better person than I am, or how it follows that I'm inferior to you.

Many research studies, as well as my own clinical experience, have confirmed that severely depressed patients who appear very biologically depressed with lots of physical symptoms often respond rapidly to cognitive therapy alone without any drugs.5

Should statements based on the premise you are all-powerful assume that, like God, you are omnipotent and have the ability to control yourself and other people so as to achieve each and every goal. You

Your moody thoughts are likely to be entirely different from those you have when you are not upset.

While those individuals with more severe emotional disturbances will need the help of a mental health professional, individuals with more manageable problems can benefit by using the newly developed "common sense

If I try to flirt with her, I'll probably get shot down. That would show what a loser I am." This thought contains nearly all ten cognitive distortions, but it's a classic example of Self-Blame

One of the most important tasks of any therapist is to help depressed patients find the courage and determination to resist and fight these hopeless feelings. This battle is often fierce and rarely easy, but nearly always rewarding in the long run.

Absolutes do not exist in this universe.

I told Marilyn that God told me, "David, if you believe in me, I'm going to be deeply disappointed." I replied, "Don't worry, big guy, I've got your back!

or-Nothing Thinking. You look at things in absolute, black-or-white categories, as if shades of gray do not exist, and you think of yourself as either a complete success or total failure. This dichotomous way of thinking can make life pretty miserable and make you feel like a zero, or nothing, most of the time. In addition, you can't accurately describe yourself or the world in black-or-white categories. Things are rarely totally horrible or absolutely perfect.

Overgeneralization. You generalize from some specific flaw, failure, or mistake to your entire self. Or you may generalize the way you feel right now, or some negative experience you've just had, to the future.

Depresyondaki bireylerin büyük bir çoÄŸunluÄŸu asl?nda çok sevilen insanlard?r, fakat bu hiç iÅŸe yaramaz; çünkü, kendilerini sevmezler ve kendilerine güvenleri eksiktir. Aslolan, ancak kendinize verdiÄŸiniz deÄŸerin nas?l hissettiÄŸinizi belirlediÄŸidir.

Mental Filtering. You filter out or ignore the positives and focus entirely on the negatives. It's like a drop of ink that discolors the entire beaker of water.

Discounting the Positive. This is an even more spectacular mental error. You tell yourself that your positive qualities or successes don't count. You convince yourself that you're completely bad, inferior, or worthless.

Jumping to Conclusions. This is where you jump to painful and upsetting conclusions that aren't really supported by the facts. There are two common versions of this distortion:

Fortune Telling. You make arbitrary and disturbing predictions about the future. It's as if you had a crystal ball that only gives you bad news!

Hope alone is a powerful antidepressant.

Mind Reading. You jump to conclusions about how others are thinking and feeling without any clear evidence.