Rory O'Connor's Notes on Matt Haig’s latest book Notes on a Nervous Planet

I was delighted to find Notes on a Nervous Planet (Canongate) on the shelves of WH Smith at Gatwick Airport on Tuesday (a little ahead of 5^th July, the scheduled publication date). I am a big fan of Reasons to Stay Alive, Matt Haig’s personal memoir about suicide risk, depression and anxiety.  I was keen to see what Matt would do next with the RTSA follow-up. And I wasn’t disappointed. Here are my notes (see what I did there J) on a NOANP including some brief thoughts that came to mind as I read the book.

I had the pleasure of doing two book festivals with Matt when RTSA was published a couple of years ago. And I remember joking with him at the Cheltenham Literature Festival (where I interviewed him on stage about RTSA) that when I had agreed to interview him I hadn’t yet read his book - and was concerned that it would be another wishy-washy self-help book – which, if true, would have made our gig together a tad tricky! Thankfully it wasn’t; it was eloquent, touching and it really resonated with me, like it did for countless thousands of others.  Indeed, I know of many people who struggle with living daily who have said that RTSA has helped them while in their own tunnels of despair.

On Tuesday, when I got my hands on NOANP, I had a slightly different concern. Would his writing resonate with me again and live up to the promise/delight of RTSA? I am pleased to say that it does – but it is different; in some ways it is a follow-up to RTSA, delivering a personal narrative interweaved with general observations but in other ways it is not, as it goes much further beyond his personal experience than in RTSA, drawing more on research (and other) evidence.  I also felt that it had more of an explicit self-help feel to it.   No bad thing, though. It also covers the challenges of modern life, which other books do, but he does so in an accessible, personal and engaging way.

I read NOANP in one extended sitting today (accompanied by seemingly unending Glaswegian sunshine which I spent the morning and afternoon trying to avoid burning in).  So, what follows are my very immediate reflections (with little editing, so apologies for any typos etc).  Unlike RTSA, NOANP focuses on how “the world is messing with our minds” and offers suggestions on how we can be happier in a chaotic and technologically-driven world.  Climate change, social media, psychology, social comparison, fake news, cosmetic surgery, loneliness, work, phones, the sky and psycho-grams all get a mention.

Like RTSA, Matt draws upon his own experiences of anxiety, panic disorder and depression - and much more besides. His descriptions of his own struggles are beautifully written and emotion-laden; once again conveying the complexity of his, as well as all of our mental health.  Late in the book, the importance of keeping everyday concerns in perspective is brought home to him when his mother undergoes major surgery.

Nobody writes lists better than Matt Haig does.  I wish I could write lists like Matt Haig does.

Even when Matt is writing about something that we already know (e.g., the pros and cons of living in a more connected world, the internet and so on.), he always manages to make me think anew about it – and through his eloquent prose, I cannot help but reconsider how it affects my life and my world. 

Two observations from NOANP:

Distraction isn’t a long-term solution.

Life is not a tequila to be slammed.

A personal observation: Everyone should read Bonjour Tristesse (by Francoise Sagan) which is mentioned a couple of times in NOANP. I read it for A-Level French and I can still remember being transfixed by it: I learned about sadness and the appreciation of living from reading it. It was clearly also a big hit with Matt!

As the title of the book suggests, some of chapters are brief, personal observations – notes – and others are much longer, integrating concerns about the world with evidence. I really liked the mix as I did in RTSA. I especially like the imagery that some of the brief chapters evoke (e.g., ‘A note from the beach’, ‘Maybe’). Similar to RTSA, each chapter has a standalone message, as well as contributing to the broader narrative of navigating a messy world in hopefully a safer and more meaningful way.  There is something for all of us in the book.

Best phrase: “invisible cyclone” to describe a panic attack.

Best chapter title: “The mannequins who inflict pain” (or “I am what I am what I am”).

Good advice: “Never let a stranger’s negative opinion of you become your own negative opinion of you.” p.229

Made me smile: Matt describing when his wife Andrea chastises him for being on the internet: “She held up her palm. ‘Okay. I don’t want the TED talk.’” p.98.

NOANP in 8 words: stimulating, compassionate, thoughtful, engaging, human, hope, perspective, wellbeing 

Key messages for me from NOANP: 

1   Uncertainty is a certainty and that’s okay. 

2   Be in the now, not yesterday or tomorrow 

Conclusion: I always learn and feel more from reading Matt Haig. And it makes me a better person. Bookshops are a much better place as a result of his work. If RTSA was for you, then so is NOANP. So go buy it.

 Rory O’Connor

 30^th June 2018

 

 

 

 

 

Suicide research without borders: The travel diary of a ‘SBRL ambassador’

When people ask me where I am from, I always play a game and ask them back where do you think I am from. After some guessing, I generally say that ‘I am half Italian, half Portuguese but born in Brazil’. But I also speak Spanish, live in Scotland and have a Glaswegian heart! Although this might sound like an identity crisis, I must admit that it is very nice to have so many influences and being able to communicate in different languages, learning and celebrating diversity. As a researcher, this not only helps me to learn from what has been published in the countries where those languages are spoken, but it also opens doors for collaborations and new friendships within our field. At the beginning of 2018, I was lucky enough to collaborate with Brazilian and Portuguese suicide researchers and clinicians, which made feel like a ‘SBRL (Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory) ambassador’ in parts of the Portuguese-speaking world.

 My collaboration trip started on the 13^th January in the city of Vitoria (Brazil). Since I am a clinical psychologist researching suicidal behaviour, I was invited by a Brazilian clinician, Diego Souza, to deliver a workshop on psychotherapy with patients at suicide risk. Over 90 clinicians including psychiatrists and clinical psychologists attended. Practical procedures on clinical intervention were taught through the lens of the IMV model of suicidal behaviour and, for the first time in Brazil, David Jobes’ CAMS approach (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality) was presented as a new programme with a growing evidence base to work with patients who are suicidal. The workshop was extremely productive: lots of knowledge exchange and very good feedback from attendees.

My second stop was on the 20th January in the biggest city of Brazil – São Paulo – where I was invited by the Dialectica Psychotherapy Institute to give a workshop on single interventions with patients following a suicide attempt who had been discharged from emergency departments or discharged from psychiatric inpatient care. More than 40 clinical psychologists and psychiatrists attended the course where, also for the first time in the country, Gregory Brown’s and Barbara Stanley’s Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) was presented as a tool for this modality of intervention. Theoretically, the SPI was framed as working on volitional moderators within the IMV model, acting to reduce the likelihood of suicidal thoughts to be translated into a suicide attempt. In the workshop, I also mentioned the current SBRL SAFE TEL project and that we are looking forward to learning about the results of this important work. Finally, my last course in the country was in Brasilia (Capital of Brazil) on the 26-27 January at the invitation of the Atitude Courses Institute. I delivered the same workshop as I had done in Vitoria with about 50 clinicians in attendance. My time in Brazil has been very constructive and positive, and I left the country with quite few other invitations to return next year - which is really exciting.

My final trip was to my mum’s homeland – Portugal. As a result of attending IASR ECR’s Breakfast in Las Vegas, I had the pleasure of meeting Professor José Carlos Santos, from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Over the past 10 years, Prof Santos’ lab in Coimbra has conducted important research projects within suicidology - indeed one of them is a key reference for the first empirical study of my thesis! After the conference in Vegas, Prof Santos kindly invited me to be one of the speakers at the International Winter Seminar on Suicidology, organised by him and his lab in Coimbra. The event was extremely productive, informative and thought-provoking, with speakers from different parts of Portugal, Brazil - and me representing Scotland. It was very nice to learn about different research and intervention projects, including Prof Santos’ lab’s huge suicide prevention programme, +Contigo, which has been conducted in Portuguese schools with impressive results. My talk presented the results of the first empirical study from my PhD which is investigating perceptions of past parenting and attachment as diatheses for suicidal ideation within the context of the IMV model. The seminar finished with plans of collaboration and an invitation from me to our 3^rd EMCR Forum in the summer in Glasgow.

What is next? Well, next is a thesis to finish writing up and I can say that all these experiences were unique, and they boosted my energy to finish my PhD this year! I want to thank all Brazilian researchers and clinicians who made those workshops in South America possible, to Prof Santos for such a kind invitation and with whom I learned so much, and finally to my supervisor Rory O’Connor who supported my desire to collaborate internationally within the Portuguese speaking world.

Obrigado a todos!

Tiago Zortea