Reasons to Stay Alive book club questions

1. 1.

   Haig describes the onset of his depression as sudden and without clear cause. How does that account compare with your understanding of what depression is and where it comes from?

2. 2.

   He distinguishes between sadness and depression, insisting they are different kinds of experience. Does that distinction matter to you, and if so, why?

3. 3.

   The book is addressed partly to people who are currently struggling. Does that direct address work for you as a reader, or does it create a kind of distance?

4. 4.

   Haig is careful not to turn his recovery into a prescription. But the book still carries implicit messages about what helps. Which ones do you find credible?

5. 5.

   His partner Andrea's presence was crucial to his survival and recovery. What does that kind of support ask of the person providing it?

6. 6.

   The illness, by Haig's account, lied to him about the permanence of his state. Have you ever experienced a version of that — believing a temporary condition was permanent?

7. 7.

   Haig writes about reading and books as eventually part of his recovery. What things have served that function for you in difficult periods?

8. 8.

   The book was widely shared by people who recognized themselves in it. What does that kind of resonance suggest about the prevalence of this experience?

9. 9.

   Haig says he still has hard periods and that the anxiety has not disappeared. How does living with ongoing mental illness, rather than recovering from it, change how you think about what 'getting better' means?

10. 10.

    Is there a tension between writing a book that is honest about the ongoing difficulty of mental illness and writing one that offers hope? How does Haig manage that tension?

11. 11.

    What do you think the book would mean to someone who does not share Haig's experience of depression or anxiety?

12. 12.

    Haig eventually became a well-known author and advocate on mental health. Does that arc change how you read the book?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.