By Beyond A Maze //
Depressed at 24, Matt Haig wanted to jump off a cliff.
But he chose to turn back.
A few years later, Haig penned his experiences and thoughts in Reasons to Stay Alive (RTSA). But RTSA is more than a memoir that raises awareness about mental illness. It’s more than a self-help journal for people struggling with depression and anxiety. The universality of human experience (and how to enhance it) rings through the book, making it a relevant read for anyone breathing on this planet.
Haig rightly points out that depression is difficult to comprehend. But he doesn’t stop there. In his dry humour, Haig draws several parallels between depression and other “life-threatening situations”. For example, you don’t tell someone with tuberculosis “it could be worse. At least no one died.” He goes on to paint a vivid picture of the struggles people with depression and anxiety face. His metaphors are succinct yet palpable. You could feel a sense of inevitability, solitude, and lack of hope just by reading the book. However, you may argue, don’t we feel this way from time to time? Well, the difference is, as Haig explains, in the intensity of the experience. In capturing these emotions with such powerful imagery, he helps readers to better empathise with people who go through depression or anxiety.
It’s wonderful that Haig doesn’t just aim to raise awareness of depression or anxiety. He seeks to help those wrestling with the illness by sharing his experience and tips. Yet he doesn’t sound like a know-it-all. There is no one-size-fits-all solution mentioned in the entire book. Unlike most self-help authors, Haig doesn’t promise that you will achieve a particular outcome by reading his work and practising his advice, thereby (in part) causing you to feel guilty if you don’t follow through. Haig even confesses that he doesn’t always follow the 40 pieces of advice he feels to be helpful in the chapter “How to live…” Haig’s candidness makes him even more endearing to his readers.
Not to mention, in that particular chapter, the advice he offers is applicable to practically anyone. You don’t have to have a mental illness to “be transparent to yourself” or “let [your mind] do what it does without judging it”. His lessons, for the lack of a better word, have a universal and enduring appeal.
RTSA is not just a narrative about depression and anxiety. It is a reminder that we share a common humanity.
Editorial note: Matt Haig’s Reasons To Stay Alive can be borrowed from the National Library (NLB) at http://www.nlb.gov.sg/biblio/201352107
Beyond A Maze runs book club sessions that discuss mental health related books. Do check out their Facebook page to know more.
For other stories, click here.