Books that changed or helped us

Do you love to read? Is there a certain author or book that has changed your life or really helped with your mental health journey?

For me it’s UK author Matt Haig. Matt writes both fiction and non-fiction. In his fiction, the characters he creates often have battles with mentally ill health and in his non-fiction he writes about his own experiences. I’ve written out some of my favourite passages and quote from his books below. I’d love to hear about books that helped or changed your life!

“And, just as it only takes a moment to die, it only takes a moment to live. You just close your eyes and let every futile fear slip away. And then, in this new state, free from fear, you ask yourself: who am I? If I could live without doubt what would I do? If I could be kind without the fear of being messed over? If I could love without fear of being hurt? If I could taste the sweetness of today without thinking of how I will miss that taste tomorrow? If I could not fear the passing of time and the people it will steal? Yes. What would I do? Who

would I care for? What battle would I fight? Which paths would I step down? What joys would I allow myself? What internal mysteries would I solve? How, in short, would I live?”

― Matt Haig, How to Stop Time

“You will one day experience joy that matches this pain. You will cry euphoric tears at the Beach Boys, you will stare down at a baby’s face as she lies asleep in your lap, you will make great friends, you will eat delicious foods you haven’t tried yet, you will be able to look at a view from a high place and not assess the likelihood of dying from falling. There are books you haven’t read yet that will enrich you, films you will watch while eating extra-large buckets of popcorn, and you will dance and laugh and have sex and go for runs by the river and have late-night conversations and laugh until it hurts. Life is waiting for you. You might be stuck here for a while, but the world isn’t going anywhere. Hang on in there.

Life is always worth it.”

― Matt Haig, Reasons to Stay Alive

“Sometimes just to say your own truth out loud is enough to find others like you.”― Matt Haig, The Midnight Library

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