Depression is certainly a serious problem, and "ten days" to gain self esteem may be unrealistic. But many of those here who have spent years in psychology realize that the only real insights discovered have to do with untwisting irrational thinking, the topic of this book. Many psychologists typically spend the rest of their time trying to overcome the extreme resistance of their patients to this simple realization. Worse, other psychologists - often pseudoscientists like psychoanalysts - introduce new levels of complexity that baffle patients.

By the way, it's certainly not "ignorant" of Burns to question the use of SSRIs to treat things like major depression/dysthymia/anxiety disorders. The fact is that there is quite a bit of debate over the appropriate use and overuse of these drugs in the psychiatric and psychological communities. General practitioners are often completely unaware of their appropriate use and dosages, psychiatrists are typically overly gung-ho about using them and still do not understand their side effects well, and psychologists quite reasonably fear the negative reinforcements they encourage. And patients simply have to be aware and cognizant of this debate. There are significant benefits and costs to taking SSRIs, and people have to be their own doctors to a certain extent, weighing these benefits and costs against one another.