A review by stvnh
Reasons to Stay Alive, by Matt Haig
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
When I first read RTSA in 2016 I hoped for this book to fix me, to pull me out of the dark place I was in. It didn't, obviously, but it gave me a sliver of hope that one day I might leave the place I was in. And a lot of comfort that I wasn't alone in my struggles.
This isn't a self-help book. It doesn't talk about therapy, because that was not Matt Haigs experience. It more so describes a slow journey from a hopeless to a hopeful place, the incremental steps it took to get there. Some of his solutions for how he got better don't work for me, but that is okay because I still apprechiate the openness and sincerity with which he puts into words what depression and anxiety disorders feel like.
Matt Haigs writing resonates with me like few other texts do. I have about 15 quotes from the book taped to my wall and every time I look at them I feel it again: a lot of comfort and a sliver of hope.
This isn't a self-help book. It doesn't talk about therapy, because that was not Matt Haigs experience. It more so describes a slow journey from a hopeless to a hopeful place, the incremental steps it took to get there. Some of his solutions for how he got better don't work for me, but that is okay because I still apprechiate the openness and sincerity with which he puts into words what depression and anxiety disorders feel like.
Matt Haigs writing resonates with me like few other texts do. I have about 15 quotes from the book taped to my wall and every time I look at them I feel it again: a lot of comfort and a sliver of hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use