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It’s Not As Bad As It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness
By Ed Nottingham, Ph.D. New York: Writer’s Showcase, 2000, 212 pp., $15.95
Dr. Ed Nottingham’s It’s Not As Bad As It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness attempts to offer a clear and concise model of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) for those seeking to improve their lives by becoming more rationally thinking individuals. The author provides his personal accompaniments to Albert Ellis’ well known form of REBT as a framework for readers to begin taking control of their thinking in order to change their lives. Through the use of homework assignments, visual aids, historical and personal quotes and detailed examples, the author attempts to use this revised and expanded version of his book to provoke therapeutic movement. He challenges the reader to get up and join him as he coaches you into shape for emotional wellness.
Thus, this book is not meant for the weak in spirit or in mind. It is designed for adults who recognize and are willing and committed to changing their thinking. As stated in the Preface of the book, the reader must be actively involved and understand that “it will be very important to read and reread the material and to complete the self-study (or homework) assignments included in each chapter” (p. xiii) in order to receive the maximum benefit from and understanding of the described principles. The reader must accept that their current predicament is the result of irrational thoughts, feelings and actions and must also be self-motivated to challenge these cognitions.
Furthermore, Dr. Nottingham’s book requires a particular amount of intellect. This is essential due to the fact that descriptions of ideas are quite comprehensive and laden with acronyms, anecdotes, and examples. For instance, within Chapter Two of the book, the typical ABC components of REBT are extended to include Nottingham’s additional principles, lettering D-G. The author then furthers his explanation by looking at the different interconnections between these lettered principles. The reader must also take all newfound knowledge and apply it to subsequent information throughout the book. Chapters are packed with bold-faced words and definitions as the author states that it is imperative to learn and be able to use the new and difficult “language” (p.xiii) of REBT.
It’s Not As Bad As It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness also requires insight. Clients must be able to identify and target their thinking patterns. They must consciously decide whether or not their thoughts, feelings and actions are helping or hindering them from reaching their goals and if their thinking is based on facts, is logical, and is flexible. One has to possess a sufficient degree of awareness to decipher between rational and irrational thinking patterns, in order to begin to apply REBT principles. The author also spends time targeting certain topics such as anxiety disorders, panic attacks, depression, addictive disorders and relationship issues, which make may make the book ideal for individuals struggling with these issues. Therefore, due to the motivational, detailed, and introspective demands of It’s Not As Bad As It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness, it is imperative that the psychotherapist assess each client’s level of insight, commitment, intellect and presenting problems before using it as a tool in psychotherapy.
Furthermore, Nottingham’s book has several strengths, which are fundamental to its effectiveness. Namely, each chapter is written in a concise and consistent manner. The author presents individual principles of REBT in bold letters, accompanied by detailed definitions and/or examples of how the ideas apply to everyday life. Chapters end with a summary of presented material and a self-study assignment that builds on what has been taught. Each chapter also begins with historical quotes that introduce the topics and ends with “Ed’s Thought of the Moment”, which are anecdotes seeking to provide humor and illustrate concepts in a light-hearted manner. This format makes the book user friendly as it allows the reader to engage in a step-by-step process, by which they learn to use concepts and are able to refer back to them quickly. Added wit also makes the book more engaging. In addition, the author provides creative adages such as “I don’t like it, that’s okay, I can stand it anyway” (p.66), which he encourages the reader to memorize and carry with them as a quick mental reminder of REBT goals. These mottos help to reinforce topics and provide clients with prompt ways of dealing with frustration in everyday life.
Moreover, Dr. Nottingham is also quite candid in expressing his belief in the effectiveness of REBT, both personally and in the lives of his clients. He attempts to provide a realistic view of REBT and the struggles and rewards that it entails. For example, he explains his individual application of REBT techniques when quitting smoking. Dr. Nottingham takes the reader through the process of challenging the irrational belief that he could not live without cigarettes, as he utilized of thought records and other REBT concepts. The author also admits that as he continues to remain smoke-free, he is still plagued with the desire, which he consistently combats with REBT. The inclusion of such a personal example helps not only to illustrate concepts, but also makes the theory appear more accessible. Practicality is emphasized as it is stated that we are all “Fallible Messed-up Human Beings with the incurable tendency to make mistakes, however, because [we are] made up of millions of characteristics, traits and behaviors, there is little likelihood that [we] will be a total failure in all areas” (p.32).
Additionally, the pragmatic use of REBT is exhibited as readers are allowed an inside look at several mock therapy sessions with clients with various presenting problems. The reader is invited to be a “fly on the wall” and travel with the client through the implementation of REBT. As certain techniques are used within sessions, the author explains their rationale and encourages the reader to put on the “therapist cap” (p.108) and come up with REBT ways to help each client. The sessions also discuss ideas such as “backsliding” (p.108), and coping with mental setbacks when striving toward more rational thinking. Thus, through the exploration of example, the author aids readers in the process of becoming their own psychotherapist and applying what is learned to their own lives. Nevertheless, Dr. Nottingham effectively recognizes the importance of psychotherapy and encourages the seeking of a clinician when experiencing difficulties that are impairing one’s life and are beyond the confines of the book.
Thus, It’s Not As Bad As It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness is a vast, valuable, and practical look at REBT and its implementation. Notwithstanding, a relative weakness exists in its excessive amount of detail. At times it reads more like a textbook for clinicians rather than a self-help resource for clients. From the A, B, C, D, E, F, and Gs of REBT, to the three types of thoughts, three types of shoulds, four types of irrational beliefs associated with common feelings, etc, the reader is inundated with terms and definitions. It is almost as if in Dr. Nottingham’s desire to be thorough, he becomes didactic. Therefore, the immense amount of information contained can be quite overwhelming and may cause clients to disengage. Thus, the book may be most effective in psychotherapy when broken up into sections and/or short intervals, as the readiness for each section is assessed by the psychotherapist. The book also serves as an excellent resource for REBT therapists, as it provides creative and alternative ways of presenting principles.
It’s Not As Bad As It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness also has several special features that serve to aid in the quest for more rational thinking. Perhaps the most useful component exists within the homework assignments and extensive appendices. For each assignment, specific forms are included in the appendices, which appropriately explain and label information that is to be completed. It includes items such as thought records and short pamphlets that summarize different REBT terms. In addition, throughout the text, as topics are discussed, the author refers to several other books which he uses and recommends. Full citations of these texts are included in the back of the book and listed by chapter. These inclusions are highly beneficial for both clients and psychotherapists as it provides several requisite resource materials to be utilized, as needed, in psychotherapy. The book also includes an index, which lists discussed principles and allows for quick reference.
Visual aids are also included throughout the book to further explain points. Diagrams and pictures are simple and provide illustrated compliments to described ideas. Most notable of these exists as the author depicts the four most common types of irrational beliefs as colorful sharks, which are drawn on the back of the book. He uses visual language to describe how these sharks swim around in our thoughts and cause us to be irrational. Dr. Nottingham makes constant reference to these sharks throughout the book and encourages the reader to “put them back in the cage” (p.53), when they begin to invade thinking.
Thus, It’s Not As Bad As It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness can be quite viable in the clinical setting. When used with the appropriate audience exhibiting competent levels of insight, intellect and motivation, it can aid in facilitating therapeutic movement as it encourages one to “take action [and] challenge beliefs” (p.184). The book serves as a practical compliment to REBT therapy and provides a valuable resource for both psychotherapists and clients, as it presents creative and alternative ways to explain and illustrate concepts coupled with detailed examples, creative adages, homework assignments and well explained pamphlets. Furthermore, the consistent and concise structure of the book allows the clinician to refer clients to specific sections, as needed in psychotherapy. In addition, Dr. Nottingham’s exploration of the irrational thinking and other concerns commonly associated with panic attacks, anxiety disorders, depression and relationship issues make it ideal for clients with these types of issues. Consequently, It’s Not As Bad As It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness is highly recommended for bibliotherapy.