‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ by Matt Haig.
1.FEELING GOOD,the new mood therapy by DR. David Burns.
This book is all about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and has been proven to help people.
David Lezcano
It is also good if someone cant afford therapy.
2.The Gifts of Imperfectionby Brene Brown.
When youre depressed you tend to be really hard on yourself.
This book really helped me through my dark moments and made me embrace who I am.
3.The Book of Joy.
Its a conversation between The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
They are long time friends and discuss what they have both learned over the course of their amazing lives.
4.The Little Princeby Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
I dont think it needs an introduction.
Its also very simply written while being thought provoking at the same time.
5.The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson, is a fantasy epic about broken people doing great things.
6.Reasons to Stay Aliveby Matt Haig.
7.The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
This is one that a friend made me read and its stayed with me for the past 8 years.
So, this is my life.
That line makes me want to weep.
Its so simple and so true.
That book helped me so much.
It holds a very special place in my heart, and it really feels like it saved my life.
The book the movie was made from.
Delightful and funny as hell and full of hope.
It has a lot of extra details that were not included in the movie.
12.Hyperbole and a Halfby Allie Brosh.
This is what its like.
I hope Allies ok…
13.Every Word You Cannot Sayby Iain Thomas.
Its a book of poems that helped me deal with my uncle passing.
Its an uplifting book and it helps give something physical to something abstract like pain.
Not trying to sound pretentious, it just a great book that helped me through some dark times.
14.I thinkNorse Mythologyby Neil Gaiman.
15.Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenanceby Robert M. Pirsig.
Its a little bit more about philosophy, not so much motorcycle repair.
16.100 Years of Solitudeshould be required reading for everyone.
In my life, its informed every major decision I have ever made.
17.What Happy People Knowwas a life saver.
It changed my whole perspective.
18.The Name of the Windby Pat Rothfuss!
It made me feel optimistic for a change.
19.How to Win Friends and Influence People.
21.The Alchemistby Paolo Coelho!
Such an amazing read.
It allows the reader a different perspective on life.
22.This is Howby Augusten Burroughs.
I was too depressed to read it, though.
I just listened to the audiobook.
Im gonna say Shel Silverstein.The Giving Tree.
Its a more well-known one I would say.
26.The Messenger, by Markus Zusak.
27.The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Upby Marie Kondo.
Hear me out on that one.
I usually struggle with my environment a lot when my mental state is on its worse side.
I keep everything cluttered and cant handle the amount of stuff I have.
I cannot find things, which then frustrates me pushing me further down.
My mind usually feels better when everything around me is clean.
Also, I did the classic does it spark joy thing and it was actually nice.
I now only have things that really keep me happy, nothing unnecessary.
I liked the little stories that Marie Kondo put in her book.
I would really recommend that book to get out of a down phase or to prevent unnecessary stress.
28.Shes Come Undoneby Wally lamb.
That book is so special to me and really got me through a lot.
I still read it when things get difficult or just certain chapters to feel comforted.
29.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
Its my favorite and has helped me with a lot of things.
Maybe it doesnt correlate as well as I remember but its great.
HomesThis Book Will Safe Your Life.
It is motivational, but in an indirect way.
31.The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuckis a good one.
Also, yo consult a doctor.
32.Ive always found theEnders GameandSpeaker for the Deadbooks to be very inspiring and moving.
They show the worst and best of Humanity.
And they somehow come from a bigoted man.
Modernist writing 60 years before modernism, and in-between all the wonderful weird shit, theres high seas action.
34.Darkness Visibleby William Styron.
Came out many years ago but I think it still holds up as a thought-provoking memoir.
35.The Stormlight Archiveby Brandon Sanderson Life before death.
36.Lets Pretend This Never Happenedby Jenny Lawson.
Got me through bouts of terrible depression and a miscarriage.
37.The Power of Now.
It will really get you out of your head and stepping into the now.
CS Lewis does a fantastic job of putting the emotional state of childlike wonder and innocence into words.
39.Any book by Alan Watts.
From personal experience, it helped me to calm down a lot.
He also has podcasts!
He has books likeThe Wisdom of InsecuritytoThe Way of Zen.
40.Meditationsby Marcus Aurelius just a mans thoughts on how to better himself.
Never meant for publication.
42.The Earthsea Sagaby Ursula K. Le Guin.
43.War and Peace.Im not joking.
There is something about that work that just murders depression.
I think its the way it covers the full spectrum of human experience.
Seriously, Kurt Vonnegut got me through some rough times emotionally.
45.Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxyhelped me.
Just an absurdist take on humanity that helps undercut any overwhelming negative thoughts I cant shake.
Its been my favorite book for around 25 years now, and it never fails to make me smile.
49.Mans Search for Meaningby Victor E Frankle.
It helped me a bit, and most people I know whove read it.
Victor E Frankle is a psychologist who endured a concentration camp as a jewish prisoner.
The first half is biographical, the second half is his theories and practice for them.
Depression and how to help deal with it in a way similar to cognitive behavioral therapy.
Some kids are messed up at an early age.
I was one of them.
Pooh, and Rabbit, and especially Eeyore were cool friends with massive faults.
I learned from these books it was OK not to be like the others.
