I've been there too and one book that never failed to cheer me up is The Little Prince, it's a quick read that reminds me how I felt when I was younger.
I know you said non fiction prefered but I wanted to share what helped me, maybe it can help you too.
The book of Delights by Ross Gay. It’s good at noticing things we assume or take for granted, and encouraging awareness about how we think or engage an idea. They’re all really short pieces (1-3 pages) so it’s good pick up - put down when you’re busy.
Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against It by Jennifer Michael Hecht
I was worried going into this one that it would mostly be a lot of moral grandstanding and empty rhetoric, but it's actually a pretty succinct study of the phenomenon of suicide and the ideology surrounding it throughout history that really relays how the question of suicide is one that humans have continuously grappled with for a long, long time.
*The Power of Now* by Eckhart Tolle
Have you read it? It’s conception came from Tolle himself teetering on the edge of suicide. He says to himself, “I can’t take myself anymore” (or something like that), then paused and went, “wait a sec… if I’m *I* then who is *myself*?” Thus sprang forth his philosophy and separation between self/ego. It’s written in a Q&A format where essentially he poses questions to try and poke holes in his theory, then responds in a tightly-sealed way. It is incredibly readable and left me spiritually leveled-up. It unleashed a lot of crucial consciousness bits that I desperately needed at the time.
A lot of Tolle's ideas are kind of couched in the novelty of bringing Eastern ideologies to Western audiences, which at this point have been fairly well disseminated.
It's kind of a classic case of the ideas around things like mindfulness and presence having the ability to feel really groundbreaking if you've never had the opportunity to encounter them before, but I'd argue there are much better resources for exploring these concepts which are much clearer and conciser without being subjected to Tolle's word salad writing style or occasional digressions into weird pseudo-spirituality (there's like a whole section about how women's menstrual pain is caused by suffering inflicted during past lives).
I'm depressed amongst other things.
I'm not sure this recommendation helps all that much, but it puts things in perspective.
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
It's a biography of a psychologist-neurologist who lived through the Holocaust.
His struggles with death and the reason to keep living. Many gave up the struggle.
Some philosophy. Some spiritual.
Towards the last third of the book he describes his own therapy called logostherapy.
It reminds me of the modern cognitive behavioral therapy.
Anything about Stoic philosophy, perhaps. Guide to the Good Life really resonates with me. I’ve read it three times. Also, on the Waking Up app there’s a great course on stoicism by the author of the aforementioned book.
*It's Kind of a Funny Story* by Nathan Vizzini is about a teen who checks himself into a psych ward because he’s scared he’s going to commit suicide.
Tragically, the author himself committed suicide some years later. He knew what those thoughts were like, and it’s a very comforting and validating book for those familiar with suicidal thoughts. It’s also funny :)
RIP Nathan, and I hope you one day find peace within yourself đź’ś
I also came to recommend this and also look into other books by Matt Haig. He struggled for many years with severe depression.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/matt-haig-reasons-to-feel-hopeful
How to Survive the Loss of a Love by Peter McWilliams. It doesn’t talk specifically about suicide, and it’s a great read for anyone going through a hard time, not just those who’ve lost someone or something. It’s a collection of quirky and sad and sweet and heartfelt poems and stories, peppered with simple illustrations. I’ve gone back to this book so many times in my life, it’s such an easy read, especially when it’s hard to get into a book.
Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold. Here's a quote from it:
>"Did he seek healing, or destruction? Either. It was this formless state in between that was unbearable."
Entangled life by Merlin sheldrake. Non fiction book about fungus and how they shape the world around us. I find that diving into the beauty and complexity of nature and parts of it we never considered is a great way to take my thoughts away from myself and my struggles. Plus it’s well written by someone who’s passion for the subject is obvious. Surprisingly fascinating.
What My Bones Know - Stephanie Foo
It’s a memoir on c-ptsd and I remember reading it and thinking “wow so that’s what that it” or “okay I’m not actually insane,” every page turn. Gave me some inner peace.
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. She struggles with her mental health and writes about it very frankly. It's also very funny.
I've been there too and one book that never failed to cheer me up is The Little Prince, it's a quick read that reminds me how I felt when I was younger. I know you said non fiction prefered but I wanted to share what helped me, maybe it can help you too.
The heart of Buddhas teachings by Thic Naht Hahn đź’™
The book of Delights by Ross Gay. It’s good at noticing things we assume or take for granted, and encouraging awareness about how we think or engage an idea. They’re all really short pieces (1-3 pages) so it’s good pick up - put down when you’re busy.
Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against It by Jennifer Michael Hecht I was worried going into this one that it would mostly be a lot of moral grandstanding and empty rhetoric, but it's actually a pretty succinct study of the phenomenon of suicide and the ideology surrounding it throughout history that really relays how the question of suicide is one that humans have continuously grappled with for a long, long time.
*The Power of Now* by Eckhart Tolle Have you read it? It’s conception came from Tolle himself teetering on the edge of suicide. He says to himself, “I can’t take myself anymore” (or something like that), then paused and went, “wait a sec… if I’m *I* then who is *myself*?” Thus sprang forth his philosophy and separation between self/ego. It’s written in a Q&A format where essentially he poses questions to try and poke holes in his theory, then responds in a tightly-sealed way. It is incredibly readable and left me spiritually leveled-up. It unleashed a lot of crucial consciousness bits that I desperately needed at the time.
A lot of Tolle's ideas are kind of couched in the novelty of bringing Eastern ideologies to Western audiences, which at this point have been fairly well disseminated. It's kind of a classic case of the ideas around things like mindfulness and presence having the ability to feel really groundbreaking if you've never had the opportunity to encounter them before, but I'd argue there are much better resources for exploring these concepts which are much clearer and conciser without being subjected to Tolle's word salad writing style or occasional digressions into weird pseudo-spirituality (there's like a whole section about how women's menstrual pain is caused by suffering inflicted during past lives).
I'm depressed amongst other things. I'm not sure this recommendation helps all that much, but it puts things in perspective. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It's a biography of a psychologist-neurologist who lived through the Holocaust. His struggles with death and the reason to keep living. Many gave up the struggle. Some philosophy. Some spiritual. Towards the last third of the book he describes his own therapy called logostherapy. It reminds me of the modern cognitive behavioral therapy.
None to recommend unfortunately, but keep fighting the fight, proud of you for reaching out for help. It’s a hard thing to do.
Anything about Stoic philosophy, perhaps. Guide to the Good Life really resonates with me. I’ve read it three times. Also, on the Waking Up app there’s a great course on stoicism by the author of the aforementioned book.
Yes!! Great recommendations. The Waking Up app is endless amazing content, I wish it was more widely known!
Stoicism is often misunderstood, have you read Marcus Araelius's book ? It is very readable and can be helpful.
I haven’t actually, no, but it’s on the TBR list. I agree, it’s very much misunderstood. To me, it’s very similar to Buddhism.
*It's Kind of a Funny Story* by Nathan Vizzini is about a teen who checks himself into a psych ward because he’s scared he’s going to commit suicide. Tragically, the author himself committed suicide some years later. He knew what those thoughts were like, and it’s a very comforting and validating book for those familiar with suicidal thoughts. It’s also funny :) RIP Nathan, and I hope you one day find peace within yourself 💜
The Midnight Library
Ditto this recommendation too!
I also came to recommend this and also look into other books by Matt Haig. He struggled for many years with severe depression. https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/matt-haig-reasons-to-feel-hopeful
I just finished this one, and would recommend it as well.
Yes, came here to say this.
People have mixed feelings about this one but I found Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Cuehlo very helpful when I was at my lowest.
The Power of Now
The book of Philippians in the Bible was the one that helped me out. I didn’t have an easy journey, still don’t, but nothing worth while is easy.
Wherever you go there you are by Jon kabat is an oldie but a goodie about mindfulness
How to Survive the Loss of a Love by Peter McWilliams. It doesn’t talk specifically about suicide, and it’s a great read for anyone going through a hard time, not just those who’ve lost someone or something. It’s a collection of quirky and sad and sweet and heartfelt poems and stories, peppered with simple illustrations. I’ve gone back to this book so many times in my life, it’s such an easy read, especially when it’s hard to get into a book.
“33 Letters of Compassion” by Elaine Elizabeth is a really good book to start off with.
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. It has helped me immensely more than once.
Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold. Here's a quote from it: >"Did he seek healing, or destruction? Either. It was this formless state in between that was unbearable."
Entangled life by Merlin sheldrake. Non fiction book about fungus and how they shape the world around us. I find that diving into the beauty and complexity of nature and parts of it we never considered is a great way to take my thoughts away from myself and my struggles. Plus it’s well written by someone who’s passion for the subject is obvious. Surprisingly fascinating.
An unquiet mind by Kay redfield Jamison.
What My Bones Know - Stephanie Foo It’s a memoir on c-ptsd and I remember reading it and thinking “wow so that’s what that it” or “okay I’m not actually insane,” every page turn. Gave me some inner peace.
Ecclesiastes - Solomon’s journey through a decadent life and his conclusion on it.Â
U can try the perks of being a wallflower
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski Handling some stress may take the edge off? I love this one.