A review by _bailey_reads_
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcoholism