Reasons to Stay Alive (2015 original; edició 2015)

This has been receiving rave reviews and lots of attention for its compassionate and understanding discussion of mental health issues. curiosity piqued I decided to give it a go, all books are good in some way right? I struggled to get through it, It may be helpful for lots of people, but it wasn't really helpful for me.
Just be careful what you're reading I guess and don't feel that if something works for someone else it'll work for you and if it doesn't you're a failure. ( )

A great book about depression with many helpful tips and information regarding the topic. There are a couple of quotes which stuck to me when I was reading so I thought I would share some here!

You hate yourself. That is because you are sensitive. Pretty much every human could find a reason to hate themselves if they thought about it as much as you did. We’re all total bastards, us humans, but also totally wonderful.

I have been ill before, then well again. Wellness is possible.

You need to feel life’s terror to feel its wonder.

People place so much value on thought, but feeling is as essential. I want to read books that make me laugh and cry and fear and hope and punch the air in triumph. I want a book to hug me or grab me by the scruff of my neck. I don’t even mind if it punches me in the gut. Because we are here to feel.

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The pivotal moment in Matt Haig’s life came when he was just 24. He stood at the top of a cliff in Ibiza and stared at the edge. Every element in his body was willing him to throw himself off and end the pain of being alive. Something made him stop; he had four people that loved him. Four people that even in his darkest moment meant something to him. Something did die that day, it was the thing that was consuming him from inside. For men, in particular, suicide is one of the biggest killers for those under 35 in the western world. Thankfully, Haig didn’t join the statistics that day. He turned away from the cliff and walked back into a new life.

It wasn’t an easy recovery though, he tried drugs, they didn’t work. He cried, suffer panic attacks, wouldn’t leave the house, suffered from anxiety, didn’t sleep, didn’t eat and suffered from the terrible thing that is depression. The black dog for some can be a bottomless pit and this horrible affliction affects huge numbers of people around the world now in a variety of different ways as well as affecting families and those trying to cope with them. But a lot of the problems of this is most people don’t have any idea at all how to support their friends and family that are suffering from it.

How to stop time: kiss.
How to travel in time: read.
How to escape time: music.
How to feel time: write.
How to release time: breathe.

There are things not to say to someone with depression. But what to say though? Not much, just being with them is more important a lot of the time. Encourage but don’t force the issue. It is not an exhaustive book on the medical ins and outs of the root causes of depression, rather it is a literary response to the very real pain that Haig felt and an expression of the love he has for those that were there for him at his lowest moment. Haig puts his pain into words and if you suffer from any form of depression and anxiety then there are probably words in here that will bring you comfort and relief. More importantly, this is a book that you can give to others so they can gain some insight into the suffering that people are going through. The raw and honest writing is a mix of short chapters and longer, more thoughtful ones and are all full of helpful advice. We probably all know someone affected and in the modern world, this should be essential reading. ( )

This book is about depression and anxiety. It's pretty similar to Notes On A Nervous Planet by the same author but I enjoyed that one more. This one is highly centered on Matt's own experience battling these anxieties so it might not apply to anybody seeking help in dealing with any of this. I've never went through anything similar to what Matt did but it was interesting to see it through his eyes regardless. ( )

The best book about depression I have read so far. ( )