Reasons to stay alive- A short book review

First published April 28th 2016

I just read the book: Reasons to stay alive  by Matt Haig

When I first saw this book on the shelves of my favorite bookstore, its title caught my attention on the spot. How can it not?

And then, I started to see reviews of it in newspapers and magazines. Without a doubt, I was not the only one curious about it (at the time of writing, Reasons to stay alive has been in the Sunday Times top ten bestseller’s list for 14 weeks). 

WHAT IS THIS BOOK ABOUT:
When he was 24, Matt Haig, suffering from depression and anxiety, thought of committing suicide. Fortunately, he didn’t; and in this book, he shares how he got through this dark period. His approach is positive and hopeful. He acknowledges that there will be highs and lows (peaks and troughs) during recovery, and possibly during the life of the sufferer. He also says that even though “our experience overlaps with other people’s..., it is never exactly the same experience”* and in this way encourages people to find their own way to deal with their mental illness.

                THINGS THAT HELPED HIM (AMONG OTHER THINGS): 
                  time, talking, running, meditating, writing, traveling.

Matt Haig reminds us that one in five people get depression at some point in their life and that “suicide is a leading cause of death, in places including the UK and US.”* While nobody is immune, twice as many women suffer from it, but more men commit suicide, maybe because it is still not well seen for men to open up about how they feel or to seek help.

He also tells us that “the more you research the science of depression, the more you realise that it is still more characterised by what we don’t know than what we do. It is 90% mystery.”* It even seems unsure that it is actually caused by a chemical imbalance, as previously thought.

Even though the subject matter is serious, this is in no way a depressing read. It is in part “a memoir, a self-help book and an overview”* of the illness, substantiated with statistics and researches. And it is inspiring.

Extract: 
“About depression:
It is invisible
It is NOT feeling a bit sad
You can be depressive and be happy
It does not always have an obvious cause
It is mysterious even to those who suffer from it”*

Other useful informations that you will find in this book include:
-          Warning signs
-          How to be there for someone with depression and anxiety
-          Things that make me worse
-          Things that (sometimes) make me better
-          Things that I enjoyed since the time I thought I would never enjoy anything again


REASONS TO READ “Reasons to stay alive” by Matt Haig:
-          It took me less than four hours to read from cover to cover
-          It gives an account of depression and anxiety disorder from a sufferer’s point of view
-          It is in no way a depressing book. It is touching, full of hope and helps understand depression better, whether you are a sufferer or know someone who is

* all extract were taken from the book "Reasons to stay alive" by Matt Haig

Melanie
with Mel's help / life coach