Reasons to Stay Alive

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2015

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-21

Part 2, Chapters 22-29

Part 3, Chapters 30-51

Part 4, Chapters 52-61

Part 5, Chapters 62-70

Key Figures

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Part 2, Chapters 22-29Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 2: “Landing”

Part 2, Chapter 22 Summary: “Cherry blossom”

Haig remembers sitting with Andrea in a city park and falling into a depressive state. He looks at a cherry blossom tree shading flowers and wishes his thoughts could disperse in the same way. He realizes that much of depression as a mental state is still a mystery.

Part 2, Chapter 23 Summary: “Unknown unknowns”

Haig explores the science of the brain, and in particular the misconceptions about the science of depression. A widely publicized theory is that depression is a result of certain chemical imbalances; this theory is slowly being debunked by modern medicine, which is creating more questions than answers. Certain researchers believe scientists have been looking at the wrong parts of the brain. Haig suggests that the answer lies largely in the way society has evolved, and the idea that human beings were not built for the lives they’re currently living. He encourages people with depression to look inward and discover which treatments work best for them as individuals.

Part 2, Chapter 24 Summary: “The brain is the body—part one”

Haig briefly explores the interconnectedness of the body and the mind, and the idea that “mental health” is a misnomer because it ignores the physical manifestations of mental illness.

Part 2, Chapter 25 Summary: “Psycho”

Haig recounts a memory from his teenage years in which he spent the night with a group of classmates during a school trip. He doesn’t feel like he fits in, and he falls asleep. When he wakes, the other boys are laughing at him because he talked in his sleep. He falls asleep again and wakes with his hand bleeding; he was sleepwalking, and broke a window with his hand. The other boys become afraid of him. Despite this, Haig acknowledges the comforts and blessings he had in other areas of his life.

Part 2, Chapter 26 Summary: “Jenga days”

Haig remembers the struggles he faced during his “breakdown months” (83), and the way his struggles were invisible from the outside. His lackluster, domestic life was in stark contrast to the intensity of his inner life. He compares his perception of time to Einstein’s theory of relativity—time became an obsession as he fought to get through each moment.

Part 2, Chapter 27 Summary: “Warning signs”

Haig considers the challenges of detecting depression, since it seemingly has no outward manifestation. This chapter lists several symptoms that indicate depression, including fatigue, loss of appetite, and anhedonia, the lack of ability to feel pleasure.

Part 2, Chapter 28 Summary: “Demons”

On his way to a show with Andrea and his family, Haig perceives a demonic figure which personifies his illness. He considers his attachment to the demon, which seems to be taking care of him. At the theater, he begins to feel afraid. Haig theorizes that his anxiety-induced images because he is afraid of breaking from reality.

Part 2, Chapter 29 Summary: “Existence”

Haig reflects on the complexity of humanity, with its beauty and contradictions. He believes that human beings have the capacity for depression because they also have the capacity for creation.

Part 2, Chapters 22-29 Analysis

Where Part 1 explores Haig’s experience with mental illness, this section deals with his adjustment to and understanding of his condition. Chapter 22 opens with a brief memory of Haig sitting in the park, on a seemingly halcyon day, and being overwhelmed with the pain of his depression. Haig juxtaposes the day’s beauty with the darkness of his mental state to illustrate what it is like to live this way, to have an inner world so constantly at odds with the outer.

This section also takes a closer look at the root causes of depression and the way society’s understanding of mental health is constantly shifting. A recurring motif throughout the book is the idea that depression and mental illness are a consequence of human evolution: Human beings have evolved to be capable of emotional complexity beyond that of most animals, and in doing so have built a world around them which is both liberating and immeasurably unhealthy. One of the book’s strongest messages is that the human brain wasn’t designed for the world it has created; social media and sales marketing create a more interconnected world but instill feelings of insufficiency and isolation. This raises the question of whether external and internal causes of depression—societal and neurological—are separate entities, or products of each other.

In Part 2, Haig examines the link between the body and mind. He argues that the line between the brain and body is not a linear one of cause and effect, but rather a complex system in which each element affects all the others. In later chapters, Haig revisits personal memories, including his experience with a near-hallucination and an experience from his childhood; he uses these to contrast his inner and outer world.

These chapters also examine The Relationship Between Society and Mental Health. Mental illness can be challenging to diagnose because it doesn’t physically manifest in the same way as a bodily illness, infection, or injury. This makes it easier for societal judgments and stigmas to emerge, necessitating open communication. Haig also shares his obsession with the measurement of time, which became one small way of coping with his struggles, knowing that time may heal.

Part 2 ends on an optimistic note: Life is rich and beautiful in spite of, but also because of, its pain. Haig’s positivity in the face of debilitating illness is a cornerstone not only of the memoir but of Haig’s larger career, and has significantly contributed to his popularity among readers.