What you can change-- and what you can't
by Martin Elias Pete Seligman · first published 1993
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Overview of which mental health problems respond to treatment and which options work for each, from phobias to schizophrenia; an accessible introduction to CBT and its applications for general readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…doesn't work for people like us, I believe. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other approaches are much more effective, in my opinion. You should also read Martin Seligman's books (Learned Optimism and What You Can Change and What You Can't) as well, and Dan Gilbert's new book: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stumbling_on_Happiness
on “Ask HN: How do you deal with suicidal thoughts ?” ↗I'd also recommend reading psychologist Martin Seligman's book "What You Can Change and What You Can't", which covers a variety of mental health issues from sexual fetishes to fear of spiders to schizophrenia, and the treatment options available for each. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches people to…
on “Depression lies” ↗I also found Seligman's What You Can Change and What You Can't to be informative.
on “Unlearning Helplessness” ↗…doesn't spiral into a full-blown attack). Similar approaches have also been successful in treating phobias and other issues. For anyone interested in the topic (and CBT in general) I can highly recomment [What You Can Change and What You Can't - The Complete Guide to Successful Self-Improvement](http://www.amazon.com/What-You-Change-Cant-Self-Improvement/...) by Martin Seligman. As someone who has recently developed a bit of an obsession with…
on “What is it like to have never felt an emotion?” ↗"What You Can Change and What You Can't" by Martin Seligman
on “Ask HN: What books taught you the most about human nature?” ↗I remember a fascinating book from 1994, "What You Can Change, and What You Can't"[0], about human plasticity, and how malleable we are in various areas. There is a default assumption in our self-help culture that a majority of our characteristics are open to change if we just apply…
on ““Transgender Surgery Isn't the Solution” (2014)” ↗…skeptical of a lot of things in the field, so I don't want to sound like I'm fully defending it. EDIT: apologies for not providing hard evidence. One book that references studies in regards to this issue is "What You Can Change and What You Can't" by Martin Seligman, but I don't have it nearby.
on “Sane Thinking About Mental Health Problems” ↗