Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Reasons to Stay Alive

I thought this book was brilliant and so powerful! I’m honored I got to read it and that Matt Haig allowed people to be let into his mind in such a vulnerable way!

I found myself relating to a lot of what Haig wrote as well as feeling a semblance of attachment to him as if he was my family member or my friend.

I think this book is great for anyone who is struggling and needing to know they are not alone.

I will say, though Haig claims he is not anti-medication, I found his tone to be the opposite. The reader must keep in mind part of Haig’s illness is he has/had a massive phobia of taking any sort of medication and when he would take medicine he would feel it begin to affect him then start to panic which would make the medicine completely ineffective. I would be mindful of this if you are someone who takes medicine for any sort of mental illness. Additionally Haig kept mentioning that medicine should fix depression and it doesn’t…. And this is my own personal opinion (I am not a doctor or professional psychiatrist)— Medication for mental illness is not supposed to fix you. It is an aid/tool to help you cope more easily. It’s an addition to your coping skills.

Also be advised suicide is talked about throughout the entirety of this book in great detail. It is a very prominent topic. If you are sensitive to that subject this is not for you.

All in all I would say definitely worth the read! It’s important to hear other people’s perspectives and opinions on mental health and to ultimately know know you’re not alone in your suffering. Also just because something works or doesn’t work for Haig in this book doesn’t mean it will or won’t work for you and vice versa!

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notjust_irene's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

This book was really difficult for me to read because it was quite relatable. Yet it was also a very hopeful book, written with a lot of valuable insights.
My only gripe is the focus on the fact that he healed without any assistance by professionals and the - sometimes- disdain for medication. For many people, healing without medical assistance can be incredibly dangerous and make the process a lot more arduous than it is.

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daisymayduck's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

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astrangewind's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

2.75

Matt Haig fancies himself a modern-day philosopher in this book. It's a quick read with short paragraphs and chapters, which makes it accessible for depressed audiences who struggle with reading.

While I do agree that mental illness needs to be destigmatized, I found it difficult to be really engaged with the content of this book. I wanted so badly to really *feel* this book. I came close to empathizing, but I never quite got there, despite the things I've struggled with myself in the past. Aside from that, I don't agree with one of Haig's major arguments - that mental illness has good things to offer, and there is gratitude to be had for that. It's the kind of mentality that stops people from getting better for fear of losing their artistic ability.

After reading The Midnight Library, I am frankly disappointed that Haig's nonfiction lacks the incredible prose of his fiction.

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farawaydesiree's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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dfram's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.75

i have read Matt Haig before, so i shouldn’t have been surprised when i loved the writing style of this book. actually, i loved everything about this book. i will be re-reading it later in life. the quotes were all too relevant and relatable! i am going to be recommending this book to others for sure.

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tiernanhunter's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative fast-paced

3.0

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