I tend to agree.

Certainly I'm in favor of trying to think about things in a way that doesn't sustain my worst moods, or in ways that don't make my life worse. I try to interpret things generously, not hold grudges, etc.

But that doesn't always change how I feel. I am always saying "I know (insert logical and proper thought here), but I still feel (insert what I'm feeling here)."

I also notice that even if I choose to be amused rather than angry, or calm rather than upset, eventually it catches up with me. I can sustain it for a while, but eventually it causes a huge meltdown if the underlying stresses continue. And the meltdown is likely worse because I haven't acknowledged the magnitude of the stress that was building.

So I guess I believe that people can try to think in ways that minimizes distress and doesn't create additional problems in life. But that that doesn't necessarily make a person feel better. It might vary a lot from person to person, too. Depending on the underlying causes of their depression.

Haven't the latest DBT outcome studies concluded that while the clients function better, they don't necessarily feel better in a subjective sense?

Plus, of course, the biological factors. Mood disorders are tricky in that they change the very way a person thinks.

Not that I'm in any way opposed to good mental hygiene, or trying to change the way I think about things. Therapy definitely helps me with all of that. For me, at least, I don't think there's a magic bullet. But adding together a lot of things that are helpful increases my chances of feeling well for longer periods of time, and minimizing the amount of times I feel horrible.