Reasons to Stay Alive
"Three in the morning is never the time to try and sort out your life."
— Matt Haig, Reasons to Stay Alive (2015)
Introduction
| Reasons to Stay Alive | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Full title | Reasons to Stay Alive |
| Author | Matt Haig |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Depression; Anxiety disorder; Mental health |
| Genre | Nonfiction; Memoir; Self-help |
| Publisher | Canongate |
Publication date | 5 March 2015 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardcover, paperback); e-book; audiobook |
| Pages | 264 |
| ISBN | 978-1-78211-508-3 |
| Website | canongate.co.uk |
📘 Reasons to Stay Alive is a 2015 nonfiction memoir by British author Matt Haig that recounts his severe depression and anxiety and how he learned to live again. [1][2] It was published in the United Kingdom by Canongate on 5 March 2015. [3] A U.S. edition followed from Penguin Books in 2016. [4] Stylistically, the book blends brief vignettes, lists, and “conversations across time” in a non-linear sequence meant to be dipped into rather than read straight through. [5] The book became a number-one Sunday Times bestseller and remained in the UK top ten for 49 weeks, and it was later adapted for the stage in 2019 by Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre. [6][7]
Chapter summary
This outline follows the Canongate hardcover edition (5 March 2015), ISBN 978-1-78211-508-3.[1][3]
🕳️ 1 – Falling.
🛬 2 – Landing.
🌅 3 – Rising.
🌱 4 – Living.
🧘 5 – Being.
Background & reception
🖋️ Author & writing. Haig has described the book’s origin in his breakdown at 24 and his long recovery, writing publicly about suicidal thoughts and stigma in an essay for The Observer. [3] In a Guardian Q&A published the same day, he said his “solution” was not primarily medical and that the book sought to offer what had helped him, without prescriptions. [8] In broadcast interviews he emphasized non-clinical supports—diet, exercise, reading—while acknowledging others may need different paths. [9] Reviewers also noted the form: short pieces, lists, and “conversations across time” between a younger and older self. [5] The book thus sits between memoir and advice, using plain, candid prose rather than clinical language. [10]
📈 Commercial reception. Haig’s site records that Reasons to Stay Alive was a Sunday Times number-one bestseller and stayed in the UK top ten for 49 weeks, with international publication by 29 publishers. [6] The book was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2015. [11] In the United States, Penguin Books released the edition in 2016, and Entertainment Weekly named it among the year’s notable nonfiction selections. [4][12]
👍 Praise. The Guardian called it “a highly personal and creative response to crisis,” highlighting its humane lists and time-split dialogues. [5] The Star Tribune praised it as “equal parts self-help and memoir… quick, witty and at times profound.” [13] Kirkus Reviews described it as “a vibrant, encouraging depiction of a sinister disorder.” [14]
👎 Criticism. The Guardian review noted that therapy is “notable by its absence,” and that the solutions presented are necessarily partial and personal. [5] The Scotsman observed that the book can read like a “curious hybrid,” at times edging toward self-help in its lists and tips. [10] Some critics argued that the focus on non-clinical strategies risks underplaying professional treatment for readers who may need it. [5]
🌍 Impact & adoption. The title was included on the UK “Reading Well” (Books on Prescription) lists for mental health used by public libraries and health partners. [15] In 2019, Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre premiered a stage adaptation that toured the UK, broadening its reach beyond readers. [7]
Related content & more
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References
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedPRH2016 - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Kennedy, Lettie (31 January 2016). "Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig review – one man's battle with depression". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Reasons to Stay Alive". MattHaig.com. Matt Haig. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Reasons To Stay Alive". English Touring Theatre. ETT. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ Kellaway, Kate (22 February 2015). "'My solution to depression was never medical. What ultimately helped me was time'". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ "Reasons to Stay Alive: Matt Haig on depression". ABC Radio National – All in the Mind. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Matt Haig on coping with depression through writing". The Scotsman. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ "Waterstones Book of the Year Shortlist: Reasons to Stay Alive". Waterstones Blog. Waterstones. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ "The Best Nonfiction of 2016 So Far". Entertainment Weekly. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ Filgate, Michele (1 April 2016). "Review: 'Reasons to Stay Alive,' by Matt Haig". Star Tribune. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ "REASONS TO STAY ALIVE". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ↑ "Reading Well: Books on Prescription core list (June 2018)" (PDF). Explore York Libraries & Archives. Explore York. June 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2025.