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A review by leebs
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
1.0
Reasons to Stay Alive
By Matt Haig
“Wherever you are, at any moment, try and find something beautiful. A face, a line out of a poem, the clouds out of a window, some graffiti, a wind farm. Beauty cleans the mind.”
DNF at 50%
I was so excited to read this book. Reasons to Stay Alive is Haig’s story about how he survived depression and suicidal ideation. I love his writing and I work in mental health so I appreciate famous people speaking out and helping to end the stigma.
I know that this book is HIS story but I was disappointed to find an anti-medication rhetoric throughout. He didn’t like medication and he found it hampered his ability to deal with his depression on his own, which is fair enough, but it comes across in a really fucking irresponsible way. It comes across as advice, as “this is the way you SHOULD do it”, which pissed me right off. I actually turned off in disgust when he started saying that we don’t actually know how SSRIs work and that they are no better than placebos.
People that are suicidal are going to picking up that book and reading bullshit which could cause them to abandon any mental health assistance they are accessing. Argh, it makes me so mad.
Please talk to your GP if you are struggling. If you are in the UK here are some emergency numbers:
Samaritans: 116 123
To seek a referral to your local Crisis Service: 111
Text SHOUT to 85258
By Matt Haig
“Wherever you are, at any moment, try and find something beautiful. A face, a line out of a poem, the clouds out of a window, some graffiti, a wind farm. Beauty cleans the mind.”
DNF at 50%
I was so excited to read this book. Reasons to Stay Alive is Haig’s story about how he survived depression and suicidal ideation. I love his writing and I work in mental health so I appreciate famous people speaking out and helping to end the stigma.
I know that this book is HIS story but I was disappointed to find an anti-medication rhetoric throughout. He didn’t like medication and he found it hampered his ability to deal with his depression on his own, which is fair enough, but it comes across in a really fucking irresponsible way. It comes across as advice, as “this is the way you SHOULD do it”, which pissed me right off. I actually turned off in disgust when he started saying that we don’t actually know how SSRIs work and that they are no better than placebos.
People that are suicidal are going to picking up that book and reading bullshit which could cause them to abandon any mental health assistance they are accessing. Argh, it makes me so mad.
Please talk to your GP if you are struggling. If you are in the UK here are some emergency numbers:
Samaritans: 116 123
To seek a referral to your local Crisis Service: 111
Text SHOUT to 85258