I want life. I want to read it and write it and feel it and live it. I want, for as much of the time as possible in this blink-of-an-eye existence we have, to feel all that can be felt. I hate depression. I am scared of it. Terrified, in fact. But at the same time, it has made me who I am. And if - for me - it is the price of feeling life, it's a price always worth paying.
- Matt Haig in Reasons to Stay Alive
At age 24, Matt Haig nearly jumped off a cliff. He has lived with depression and anxiety for many years.
This book surprised me. Matt Haig describes his descent into depression and anxiety and how he climbed out of the hole and learned to live with them. It’s not long, but there’s a lot packed into it. If you or someone you love live with depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, or any mental illness, this book will give you hope. If you don’t, there’s a lot to be learned about what it’s like to live with mental illness.
He talks about what it feels like to be depressed and anxious. There’s no pyscho-babble here - just the experiences and thoughts of a survivor. I especially liked his lists - famous people who have/had mental illness, tweets from ordinary people about ways to deal, what helps (apparently peanut butter sandwiches and country music!), and what doesn’t.
This isn’t a sad book. On the contrary, he looks at his depression and anxiety as part of what has made him who he is. And he sees humor in his life. There is a lot of good advice for everyone (”If the sun is shining, go outside.”) in the lists. I’m working on my own list.
If you can find the audiobook, get it. He reads it himself, and it’s excellent!
I went to Amazon with your link the the little gizmo told me the library had the audio version, so I checked it out to listen to during the commute. Will let you know what I think when I finish, sounds like a good one though. Thanks for reviewing it.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot from it. Hope you enjoy it!
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