In this final podcast on the ten cognitive distortions, David and Fabrice discuss Should Statements, Labeling, and Blame. He brings these distortions to life with a case of a severely depressed woman who felt profoundly guilty and devastated after her brother’s tragic suicide. Dr. Burns also describes the negative thoughts of an individual who experienced horrific childhood abuse, and concludes with a surprising vignette of an elderly woman who was absolutely convinced that the problems in her marriage over the past 35 years were entirely her husband’s fault.
I wanted to leave a comment mainly to say a massive thank-you to Drs Burns and Nye for taking the time to record these podcasts. I’ve listened to all 13 more than once and found them really useful! I’ve bought 4 of Dr Burns’ books (all fantastic!) but it’s great to actually hear him and Fabrice talk around many of the ideas.
I’m sure you’re both really busy but if you have time to record any more I would love to hear you talk about (among many other things):
1. The 5 secrets of effective communication: I’ve read about these and really like them, but in my attempts to use them so far (mainly with my wife) I’ve tended to come across a bit clumsy and insincere.
2. Tackling self-defeating beliefs: I find the Daily Mood Log really effective for managing my day-to-day moods, but my underlying SDBs (of which I seem to have several!) are proving tougher nuts to crack!
Once again, a massive thank-you for these recordings.
Lewis
Thanks, Lewis, we’ll do that! If you have the time to rate us on iTunes and write a brief review, it will help us in the ratings on iTunes during this crucial period after the initial release. keep listening and giving us ideas.
By the way, the Five Secrets ARE really challening the master. Reading Feeling Good Together and doing the written exercises will definitely help. Even the therapists who attend my weekly training groups at Stanford have a lot of trouble learning them and applying them skillfully, especially in personal situations. All the best, david
Hi David,I am finding that a lot of my wrong thinking isn’t covered under cognitive therapies styles. So I have been working on changing my negative or faulty thinking to realistic and more positive thinking. I have been using guided imagery to change terrible visions I get of things to more positive loving ones. All of this really works. Plus I am working on some of the distortions you describe in your podcasts. I m hoping to find Podcast 1 so I can watch them from the beginning. I learn a lot of you. Plus plus what I do now when I feel panic and anxiety is think of you. I calm down and say now you now this can be changed and it is not permanent.
Thank you. You can find the complete list of podcasts, with links, on my website, on the podcast tab. All the best, david
I am weak in Engish listening ,thus It is really hard for me to understand this podcast. I want to know whether the following thoughts are labeling:
1. I am stupid
2. I am a stupid man
3. I am a pig.
By the way, i’d appreciate it if there is a text version of your podcasts.
Thanks.
yes, definitely! david
Dr. Burns, thank you for the amazing work you do for us. I first discovered “feeling good handbook” 3 years ago and after only reading it, my life changed. Unfortunately I relapsed and because I have bpd too, I couldn’t make myself follow the methods in the book or even put a “healing” plan in place I would stick to.
Now I can’t afford to see an specialist to get help, I’m jobless, with no emotional suport from family or friends . I’m aware of the problems but can’t do anything for long enough to fix myself ..
I’ve started having more and more often thoughts of hopelessness and I think There’s no point in living anymore .
I Really need help but can’t afford it Or have the option to go to ask for it from the govt as I’m not living in a country where I want to have a mental illness diagnosis on file.
Do you happen to know any therapists that do pro bono work online ?
Thank you !
Sadly, I don’t have the resources to develop a referral list, as I work alone. If you are feeling hopelessness and having thoughts of suicide, I would urge you to go to the emergency room of any hospital and tell them how you feel. I feel really sad about that, and wish we had national health insurance in the US and worldwide.
Depression and hopelessness can be so painful. However, if you reread the sections of the Handbook that were helpful to you the first time, it might get you into the zone where recovery occurs once again. Most of the time, the method(s) that helped a person initially will work just as effectively during relapses. And, of course, if you continue with the podcasts, they may be helpful to you. The book, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy has also been helpful to many depressed individuals.
Finally, when I plan to do something I’m putting off, I only commit to doing five minutes of work on it, not the whole thing. That is something we can ALL do. Then, once I get started, I sometimes do more, but give myself full 100% credit for the first five minutes.
On my new website, you can find my Ted Talk, too, which is also free. It may also inspire you to get back to work on changing the way you think and feel.
I wish you the very the best, David
Excellent podcast, as always. Your point about “should” being related to “scold” is wrong, though. The etymology of “should” is indeed from the Old English “sceolde”, but the “sc” in “sceolde” is pronounced “sh” instead of “sk”. The word “sceolde” had no meaning of “scold” and instead was the past tense of the word “sceal” meaning “shall”, but with a sense of obligation that “shall” no longer has.
Thanks! Very cool and scholarly comment, and you are write. Still, I was raised as the son of a Lutheran minister, and I remember the wording in the Ten Commandments, such as “Thou shalt not steal” or “shall not,” which sounds an awful lot like the moral “should,” as epitomized by the ten commandments! I’m probably still off base.
By the way, and this is trivia, did you know that the oldest known stone copy of the original Ten Commandments was auctioned about two or so years ago by Heritage Auction company in Dallas, Texas? And I am pretty sure it sold for less than a million dollars, which kind of shocked and surprised me. Not cheap, but I would have guessed tens of millions of dollars for such a rare and important religious artifact. You can check it out at their website. david