As an English Literature student and someone who has struggled with mental health issues before, it is only natural that I have one hell of a library dedicated to books that make me feel better when I’m ill. Thankfully that isn’t often these days, but these books are still massively important to me in maintaining my recovery and I thought it would be a nice way to honour Mental Health Awareness month if I shared a few with you.
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig is arguably one of the best books I’ve ever read addressing mental health. The book is a combination of autobiography and “self help”, but lacks the patronising tone found in lots of self help books. This is one of those books that can help you if you feel alone, anxious or hopeless. I would recommend it to absoloutely anyone who would like to understand mental health issues, or those who are struggling and need reassurance that they are not alone.
If you need Understanding…
Sometimes struggling with mental health can leave you feeling like you are the only one feeling that way. In those times I like to read poetry by writers who have experienced similar issues in the past. Both Tennysons “In Memorium” and John Clares “I Am” contain beautiful and melancholic lines that can give some comfort if you feel like you are alone in how you feel.
Often if your mind is going too fast you don’t have the energy for long complicated poems – when that happens I like short comforting poems you can find on Instagram from authors like Atticus Poetry and CK (or @poeticpoison). Sometimes they are all you need to feel a little better than you currently do.
Occasionally you need to bring yourself out of your own head for a while, so to do this I recommend going back to basics and reading books you know you love and can get into. My favourites are often from my childhood because I find it comforting, so I will read books like the Harry Potter series. Sometimes if I just want to get totally distracted in a story I will go for psychological thriller books like Gone Girl or The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo to really stop me from thinking too much.
Hopefully this list will help if you ever feel like you need some words to help you through the day. I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes:
“We read to know we’re not alone.” ― William Nicholson, Shadowlands