A review by eesti23
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

“We can’t have change, without loss, which is why so often people say they want change but nonetheless stay exactly the same.” 
 
“One of the most important steps in therapy is helping people take responsibility for their current predicaments, because they realise that they can (and must) construct their own lives, they’re free to generate change.” 
 
“In time, they find out that they aren’t at war after all, that the path to peace is to call a truce with themselves.” 
 
“When the present falls apart, so does the future we had associated with it.” 
 
“Therapists tell their patients: Follow your envy — it shows you what you want.” 
 
“The opposite of depression isn’t happiness, but vitality.” 
 
“It’s important to disrupt the depressive state with action, to create social connections and find a daily purpose, a compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning.” 
 
“Avoidance is a simple way of coping by not having to cope.” 
 
“The four ultimate concerns are death, isolation, freedom, and meaninglessness.” 
 
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Viktor Frankl 
 
“Many people believe that by not talking about something frightening, they can keep it from happening. They fear that even uttering the words ‘cancer’ or ‘divorce’ or ‘death’ will bring bad luck upon them. But this avoidance doesn’t prevent the unthinkable from happening. It just makes it harder to deal with when it does.” 
 
“Our awareness of death helps us live more fully — and with less, not more, anxiety.” 
 
“The inability to say no is largely about approval-seeking — people imagine that if they say no, they won’t be loved by others. The inability to say yes, however — to intimacy, a job opportunity, an alcohol programme — is more about lack of trust in oneself. Will I mess this up? Will this turn out badly? Isn’t it safer to stay where I am?” 
 
“In therapy we say, ‘Let’s edit your story.’”

I had borrowed Maybe You Should Talk to Someone from a friend. When I later saw it on the shelf, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to read it. I was worried it would be too emotional or sad. In the end, I am so glad I picked it up. This was anything but emotional and sad. Don't get me wrong, there were sad moments, but there was a lot of humour, recognition, and learning moments. I ended up highlighting so many quotes from the book. This is definitely a great read and one that will leave you with some tools for your own life development, as a bonus.
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