Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think

I purchased Mind Over Mood for my teenage son because I was looking for practical resources that could help him better understand the connection between his thoughts, emotions, and actions. What attracted me to this book was the workbook format. Rather than simply telling someone to think more positively or control their emotions, it provides structured exercises for identifying thoughts and feelings, examining whether our initial interpretation of a situation is accurate, considering other perspectives, and developing healthier ways of responding. I particularly like that these are skills that can be practiced. For a teenager who sometimes reacts strongly in the moment or sees situations in very black-and-white terms, learning to slow the process down and ask, "What am I thinking? What evidence do I have for that thought? Is there another way of looking at this?" seems much more useful than simply being told to make better choices. I haven't personally completed the workbook, as I purchased it specifically as a resource for my son, so I can't yet speak to his long-term results. However, after reviewing the approach and exercises, I am impressed by how concrete and structured it is. It gives the reader something to actually do with difficult thoughts and emotions rather than just explaining them. I also appreciate that it can be worked through gradually instead of expecting someone to absorb everything at once. For someone who benefits from concrete exercises and step-by-step guidance, this looks like an excellent resource.

I was advised to try out the first edition of this book when I was at the very beginning of my journey through depression/anxiety (when I was 13). For some reason (Stubborn? Overwhelmed?) I did not purchase the book. At a recent counseling session, I was once again recommended this book, and this time I got it. Now, at the age of 25, I've FINALLY learned that counseling sessions and medication are both essential for me, but it won't get me where I want to be unless and until I work on myself outside of sessions. That is what this book has become for me. A study tool; I almost look at it as a textbook - homework I need to do. And it's homework I actually enjoy. With this illness, it is often easy to believe that I am "different" and that no one understands or has felt these "crazy" things I think and feel. This book gives examples that are so similar to events/feelings/thoughts I've been through that it shocked me. I don't feel as alone. There are people like me who struggle to continue life, let alone enjoy it. Anyway, the bottom line is, this book is helping me through the ups and downs. I find the process of reading through examples and explanations and then filling out a worksheet about my own experience has been extremely helpful and cathartic. It definitely helps me to look at each feeling in an unbiased and analytical way that is so helpful for me. I would recommend this to anyone who with depression or anxiety. Whether you know a lot about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or are just now hearing of it, I really think this book can be of help. And when your depression is bad enough that sometimes you feel your life may be in danger, what is there to lose. If there is any chance that something can help, like this book, grab it and try. All we can do is keep on keeping on. Positive vibes to anyone reading this!

I’m using this book for therapy and it really helps. I love the book, it helps me regulate my moods

Dr. Padesky delivers an excellent resource for therapists, students, and clients hoping to develop their understanding of CBT. With the easy to read language, and countless worksheets (accesible in PDF format too!), this text is truly wonderful!! Overall, I would highly recommend anyone interested to pick up this foundational text. I do feel I should include that my copy did come with printing errors. Pages 25-56 were bound upside down and in reverse order. Despite this I still think the immense value overshadows something minute like a confounding production issue.

I refer to this as a 'workbook’. It’s 10X more effective if you are willing to put in time read it thoroughly & do exercises. I bought it in 2020 and it's been collecting dust ever since. After a week of an hour a day with it I'm realizing it's not going to be a quick fix but a tenured structured path. I am ok with this. This is what I am after. I like it a lot and see how it'll help with substantial foundational changes as long as I stick with it. I downloaded a mood tracking doc, the Acceptance worksheet, and the Forgiving Myself worksheet and am finding solid value in them. Like anything else, If you work it, it’ll work. I’m really glad I picked it back up. Sidenote - cannot seem to find document download 15.2 - if you have it please let me know how to get it.

Great book

Excellent book! My counselor recommended this for me as I suffer from really bad anxiety and panic attacks. They completely prevented me from even going to the grocery store by myself. After several sessions with him, and medication from my family doctor, then reading this book and taking part in the work section it has helped me so much. I have read, re-read, and just love the way it is so simply done to where you can actually understand why your brain does what it does, and how you can control it. Yes, I will say at first it was a struggle, but I kept at it. I wanted a life, a full life, as I have kids and 9 grandkids and when the panic got so bad I carried an oxygen bottle with me just to snap out of it. With this book that has now helped me function to where I leave the O2 in the car, just in case. I highly recommend this book to anyone who suffers from mood disorders, to anxiety to panic attacks. This book has even helped my son whose moods were just out of control. Buy it...just buy it. Very cheap for PEACE OF MIND...AND TO GET YOUR MIND BACK. AND UNDER CONTROL..!!!

I had the original 1st edition of this book and finally got around to working through it. I bought a used copy however, so some of the worksheets had been written on, which is I wanted clean worksheets for my study. Had they been clean I could have made copied to work of them. So, I ordered the new edition. I'm irritated (mood) because the new edition is excessive - WORDY - with around an additional 100 pages at least added. As a writer, speaker and former trainer, the one thing I know, is that people do not like to read. To fall in love w/your words is insensitive to the audience and students timing and learning experience. Not only did these authors bloviate on their patient examples' issues, but they also left out a most important teaching...and I'm only on page 15, (although I've scanned the book). In the first edition on page 4, the authors (taught first by explaining that Figure 1.1 (BTW, there is no 1.1 in the 2nd edition, although the same figure is used in the 2nd edition but labeled 2.1. Couldn't find a 1.1 figure in the new edition.) Instead, they ask questions in the new ed. in contrast to explain/teach first before asking questions for the reader to contemplate. People need to learn what to look for when reflecting, hence you teach first before you ask questions. In the first edition, "thought" is explained in paratheses as "beliefs, image, memories" - which is crucial for you to know and understand prior to reflection. If you are not familiar with "thinking" processes, you'd not know to include that in your evaluation of your thinking. Nor will you understand that "beliefs" are crucial to change to get at "moods". Additional paragraphs are given to the problems of their patient examples. Unnecessary and the chances of readers finishing working through this workbook has, I'd wager, dropped significantly. I have 5 books waiting for me to read. This was an area that I was working on for myself personally. So, my irritation is more at myself than the authors that I just spent $19.00 + for a belabored copy with excessive additions to the first edition, when actually all I wanted was clean worksheets to work off. It would be NICE if we could online and get a FREE pdf with extra worksheets to use w/either edition. Of course, now I can use my printer but even in this new edition the appendix does not have extra copies of the "Situation - Rating Moods" worksheets for fast recording in the future. Later you can reflect using the more in-depth worksheets. I shared all of this to say, if you can "new" first edition of this book, and copy the worksheets before you write in the book, I think you'll be much better off. Time consideration is so important today and writers need to work on the skill of brevity. Less is more for people today.

This book is a supplement for CBT practitioners and helping guide for those who would like to know how their thoughts and relevant actions brings significant changes in their life. The book has explanation of concepts such as automatic thoughts, core beliefs, gratitude, goal setting to name a few and packed with numerous worksheets which complements the concepts explained. It can be a reference book for students of psychology and psychiatry.

Mind Over Mood is such an amazing book for people who fight against depression, anxiety or strong moods as well... The approach is very pedagogic, clear, easy to read with a lot of exercices to practice. The book never guilts you for anything, on the contrary, it helps you to feel better and better, wheter you want to feel better about yourself or about the situations you are currently facing. The greatest is that you can download all the exercices for free on the website, so that you can do them again and again. I would advice anyone to read it. ANYONE!

I loved this book, because it it very practical.

It is a well-structured workbook based on CBT principles, with a comprehensive step-by-step guide to overcoming common barriers to personal growth. For my taste, some sections may be a bit verbose with repeated exercises (but one can skip them). The large format allows for easy completion of worksheets directly in the book. It would have been nice if the book included references (research papers or books on which the theory and the worksheets are based on) for further exploration. Overall, it's an essential resource for those committed to applying CBT techniques to enhance their mental well-being.

I already had a copy of the first edition which I had dabbled in, but this time round I have been able to identify anxiety as the problem I most need to address, so my use of the book is much more focused. The extra chapter on anxiety in this new edition is really helpful, in addition to the modifications made to some of the existing chapters. If there is one area in which the book could have been improved with regard to my personal needs, it would be to address generalised anxiety disorder a bit more. I have a general sense of unease which is difficult to pin down, and which is different from the more focused fears that people with other anxiety disorders tend to get. However I am, bit by bit, finding ways to connect my own experience to the exercises and examples given in the book, and I have already made significant progress even in the short time that I have been using it. If you plan to travel a lot and you want to keep using the book every day, I would recommend thinking about getting the Kindle version to use on your laptop or tablet (if your tablet has a reasonably big screen). The paper edition is quite bulky.