The Best Books on Anxiety, Depression and Mental Health

This week (13th-19th May) was Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression a few years ago, so it’s a cause very close to my heart. Along with the likes of Prince William, Stephen Fry and Nadiya Hussain, I wanted to get involved somehow.

When it comes to mental health, something that has really helped me is books. For anyone who knows me, that will come as no great surprise.

Since my diagnosis, I’ve read a small mountain of books about anxiety and depression, as well as mental health in general. From memoirs to self-help books, most have been useful in some way; whether that was by giving me more of an understanding of my illnesses, or just by knowing that someone, somewhere out there got it.

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This is a shortlist of books that have helped me and I hope can be helpful to others in a similar situation.

1. Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Reasons to Stay Alive* is the first book I read after being diagnosed and it is still by far the best book I’ve read about mental health.

As a life-long sufferer of anxiety and depression, novelist Haig frequently uses his social media platforms to talk openly about mental health, so it seems only natural that he would write a book about his experiences. I’m so glad he did.

The book is written in short, easy-to-digest chapters with helpful advice and relatable anecdotes. There’s some parts of the book where it felt like Haig had been rifling around inside my head. It just so accurate to my own experiences.

The book is not as dark at the title may suggest. Though it starts with Haig’s story of his lowest, darkest point, that’s not the running theme. The book talks about how anxiety and depression feel, how to cope, how to talk about it, how to help someone going through it… All of that is dotted with Haig’s humour and wit. 

I might read it again now…

2. Remember This When You’re Sad by Maggy van Eyck

If I had read Remember This When You’re Sad* back when I was first diagnosed, it would have been a lifesaver. When I read it, I already had a lot of the tools from the book in my toolkit. However, it was still a great one to read.

I love a good list and this book is filled with them. Each chapter is a a mix of lists and personal stories focusing on a different situation: “Remember This When… The World Won’t Stop Spinning”, “… You’re Losing Your Job”, “… You’re Falling in Love”, etc.

There’s elements of Van Eijk’s story that I haven’t personally experienced ( disordered eating, self-inflicted burns, mental health crisis teams) but her battles are still relatable and her tips still useful.

Van Eijk’s humour shines through even when she’s talking about the darkest of subjects. That’s a difficult balance but this book smashes it.

3. First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson

I grew up reading Sarah Wilson’s columns in glossy magazines. Perhaps you know her from the wildly successful I Quit Sugar books and website. I’ve always read her work but it wasn’t until this book that I knew about her mental health struggles.

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful* is named for the Chinese proverb that states “before you can conquer a beast, you must first make it beautiful”. A sentiment Wilson embraces as she encourages readers to find the positives in life with anxiety.

This book helped me understand just how illogical anxiety is. It helped me think of anxiety as just another part of me, rather than something that is “wrong” with me.

Though parts of Wilson’s journey are not directly relatable to most of us mere mortals (I doubt I’ll be meeting the Dalai Lama any time soon), the lessons learnt along the way can be applied to more ordinary circumstances.

Written in Wilson’s typical conversational style, the book does not follow a chronological story; it’s more of a collection of thoughts. This makes the structure a little frenzied, so it may not be for everyone. However, it’s an interesting read and a flippin’ beautiful book cover. 

4. How to Come Alive Again by Beth McColl

How to Come Alive Again* focuses mainly on anxiety, depression and dissociation. It’s another one that had me internally screaming “yes, this!” at the pages along the way.

McColl uses her own brand of quirky humour to tell her story. She talks a lot about behavioural techniques and what has and hasn’t worked for her.

The book is a little repetitive when read cover to cover. However, as it’s laid out in clear chapters, it’s a handy one to keep on hand to re-read sections when they’re relevant. For example, I skim read the advice to students (because I’m not one) and the section on relationships (because I’m not in one). However, I flagged sections on coping skills (both professionally-advised and McColl’s own). 

If you want tools to help you cope with your mental illness, or you want to know how to help someone else, this is your book.

5. Boys Don’t Cry by Tim Grayburn

There’s definitely far more books, blogs, and magazine articles written by or about women with mental health issues than there are of men. Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK. So why is there still a stigma associated with men suffering from anxiety and depression?

In Boys Don’t Cry*, Grayburn aims to smash this stigma by telling his story. A story that he kept secret for so long out of shame and fear. Fear of being labelled “a pussy” and told to “just get on with it”.

Less self-help and more memoir, the book is written in an easy-to-read, conversational style (though it could have done with some better editing). It’s an important one particularly for male mental health sufferers (or their friends and family) to read and know that they’re not alone, they’re not weak, and they’re certainly not “pussies”. 

What would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments so I can check them out!

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