Out of the four books I finished reading this month, my favourite was Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig.
Unusually for me, this book is non-fiction. However, as a person suffering with depression and mild anxiety at times, this book connected with me perfectly.
Not quite a memoir, this book takes you through Matt Haig’s personal experience of depression and anxiety and puts into words all the feelings (and lack of feelings) you go through over time.
He manages to say all the things I have failed to say or explain when I’ve been trying to communicate how I felt at my worst and in those in between times when I wasn’t sure what I felt.
It left me feeling somewhat reassured that I wasn’t alone, I wasn’t completely mad and I wasn’t a failure. It made me feel more accepting towards my illness and reminded me that is just what it is – An illness. It’s not what defines me.
I wish everyone could read Reasons To Stay Alive – because if you have never experienced depression yourself (and I hope you haven’t) it helps you to understand those who have/are experiencing it. And if you are a sufferer, it’s an emotional but cathartic read.
If you get the chance to pick it up, please do. It’s a very easy read considering the difficult subject.
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Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig is available on Amazon for £6.99 (at time of posting)
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Carole Finds Her Wings 
Thanks for sharing this book review, I’m always on the look-out for interesting things to read. Often I think I’m more anxious than most (although maybe not, how can you tell what anyone else is really feeling?), so there might be something in this for me 🙂
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Thanks for sharing this post. I love a good read and all the more, if there’s a strong message. And you’re right – an illness does not define you. You are you! #justanotherlinky
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Sounds like a great book. Thanks for linking up to #justanotherlinky xx
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Sounds like a good book. I really need to start reading books again! xthank you for linking up with #justanotherlinky
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