Matt Haig

[IOrderedASandwich]

Money doesn't make you happy, ofc, but a stable home life and not having to worry about whether your rent will go up next year and/or you'll be evicted at the end of your contract, or that you might not get enough work next month to pay your bills because you're on zero hours..that goes a long way. It feels a bit like when India Knight of all people wrote "The Thrift Book". Walking in the forest doesn't help if you're in an inner city flat. Going for a walk with the dog is no good if you rent and can't get one or can't afford to feed one. Saying eating pasta is fine, actually, doesn't really work when the pasta comes from a food bank.

Also, Osaka and Markle are women who have been vilified in the press, often for their race. They aren't self-appointed voices of mindfulness

 

[Vanelope]

He’s so smug. Thin skinned smug and entitled. No woman or POC or any of the queer community would be given as much money or publicity for the dross he puts out.

The midnight library is a faux spiritual rehash of Bedazzled.

With no jokes.

 

[openbook1]

this is getting a LOT of criticism. love to see it!

View attachment 659117

He is an absolute cunt. Also, it shows his privilege thinking the average Joe can afford therapy... therapy is NOT cheap.

 

[kachoochoo]

he also tweeted this this morning, on the end of the "I am not a mental health writer" tweets

and, it's really been bugging me, but he's been more ridiculous than ever the last couple of days

like, you cannot make a massive amount of money from a best selling book about your mental health, give interviews all over the place about mental health, tweet constantly about mental health and then decide, as a consequence of the pushback to a stupid ill-judged tweet, to declare that you are not a mental health writer

 

[BillyJean]

Social media appears to be contributing massively to his anxiety. He would be best to employ someone to take over his SM to promote his books & avoid it completely for his own mental well-being. I get that he’s helping people, but at the expense of his own mental health by being this spokesperson for it. He’s not qualified in mental health to be giving any advice to others without triggering people. He’s far too sensitive to the opinions of others & he gets himself involved in way too much drama that’s none of his business & then doesn’t know how to handle it. It’s a huge responsibility being the spokesperson for so many people struggling with their mental health & hanging off every quote & book when he’s clearly struggling himself & isn’t even qualified in this field. I don’t think social media & having a huge public platform is good for a lot of people & he’s one of them. People don’t need to know what his personal opinions are on world affairs & politics to sell his books. If he invites people into his personal life then he’s inviting them in to have an option on his life, good & bad as that’s how social media works now. Everyone has different views based on their own environment, circumstances & perception so not everyone will like what he says & some people will be offended and triggered but he can’t seem to handle it. I think it’s dangerous having such a big platform & speaking about issues you’re not qualified on & these types of accounts should be proper regulated & limited to proper professionals only. That way more people can have access to free, quality professional advice when they need it without being diluted by all the people that aren’t qualified.

 

[kachoochoo]

and for some people, it's antidepressants and therapy that are our self care, but you seem determined to do them down while promoting all of the baths, breathing and platitudes that are your own mo.

it's not snobbery to say that the citalopram I take every day is more effective at treating my depression than a live laugh love poster, dumbass

 

[Kikini Bamalam]

now, I'm not saying that this sounds like an excuse to explain the last few weeks virtual silence now he's realised he's got to start promoting the film sometime soon but...



View attachment 874822

very much from the playbook of another of our pals who's constantly burning out and getting the light back, isn't it?

What a fucking twat! The way he words that to sound like he is having a panic attack in the interview and the interviewer kept on at him or am I just projecting because I hate the twee bastard so much?
Anyway, a short fucking breakdown? I had a breakdown in 2011, it lasted 4 years and I am still recovering from it now. Whenever anything kicks off with him, he retreats into his little shell shouting poor poor me and my mental health. The geezer is a fucking charlatan and shame on his publishers and blue tick mates who push his shitty middle class, self care snake oil.

I'm an acorn,
now I'm a sapling,
I bend and bow,
but when the sun shines,
I grow tall and strong.
I am Matt Haig,
I chat pointless twee drivel.
Cunt!

 

[kachoochoo]

I meant to post this earlier, but got distracted. but here's his absolutely lukewarm take on Afghanistan. he has since deleted it

 

[openbook1]

Oh my god I've found my people. I found Haigs writing after I was sexually assaulted and was going through hell, I ended up buying tickets to his book tour to ask a question about a passage on anxiety that I didn't really understand and wanted some clarity. He didn't have a clue what I was talking about, and he laughed at me. I pointed out the chapter and page number and then he gave me some bogus answer about loving your body and going to the beach (I asked about every day anxiety!) and made me feel humiliated. I was so desperate to know how to cope with my sexual assault anxiety and this dude told me to love my beach body. A lady behind me asked for advice re her suicidal teenage son, Matt said to "Google some resources". He acts like he is the founding father of MH but I truly don't think he gets it. I was crushed and chucked my book in the bin at the end.

Matt isn't trained in any realm of MH so he shouldn't be giving advice whether in his books or in person which is probably why he didn't know what to say. I find it absurd that someone who isn't qualified releases books on anxiety etc.

 

[Expelliarmus]

Yes. It’s interesting as he’s sort of tried to cover both aspects - ‘I’ve been defamed’ - but then also referring to how ‘ADHD, alcohol and the internet’ don’t mix. And then later about autism.

I have to say, ADHD is taking on the responsibility for a lot of bad behaviour recently, that I’ve not come across personally in people I know with it. Those I know seem to put just a whole lot more effort than people without that issue do, into behaving in productive and appropriate ways.

 

[Into_the_tunnel]

Granola (tunnel’s version)

Continually searching for the meaning of life is like continually searching for an elusive granola recipe.

Sometimes it just better to eat the crunchy nut cornflakes.

 

[Calabria]

I definitely didn’t go into my local Waterstones and put other books over the top of his new one.
Definitely didn’t.
And before anyone kicks off. I moved the ones that were on the same table, I didn’t go off hiding them anywhere random.

 

[hollowcrown]

It is complete drivel isn't it?
I'm actually embarrassed for him.

His type of "mental health" care is absolute embarrassing as well if I had a friend who was going on all about pasta and positivity and all that crap I would cringe so much it's like he's a Year 9 or something. He's probably about 5 tweets away from tweeting "The thing sex in pizza have in common is that if its good pizza, it's good. If it's bad pizza, it's still pretty good xD ".

 

[IOrderedASandwich]

I think he's trite as fuck, and I say that as someone with a diagnosis of serious mental illness

 

[kachoochoo]

now, I'm not saying that this sounds like an excuse to explain the last few weeks virtual silence now he's realised he's got to start promoting the film sometime soon but...

very much from the playbook of another of our pals who's constantly burning out and getting the light back, isn't it?

 

[Vanelope]

Sarah Everard was taken by someone she thought she could trust, terrified, and brutally murdered. That poor woman and everyone who loved her. Sabina Nessa was beaten to death on a well used path. Violent and painful and she would also be petrified. How horrifying for her family. Her school and her pupils who are only 6. I commend the police officers who found these men and didn’t flinch from investigating one of their own. Matt Haig needs to shut up it’s not about him and his wounded pride. The women are talking.

 

[schmetterling]

thought he was meant to be watching a film?

View attachment 662888


honestly, I'm expecting a Thread 31 situation any minute now!

Matt, there are people on this thread saying that you actively made them feel worse or very distressed when they looked to you for advice about problems they have had with their mental health. Care to step into the ring? If you've read enough Tattle you'll know waiting until Thread 31 is considered traditional but you're clearly an unstoppable force of nature.

 

[Jelly Bean]

His brand of mental illness awareness/treatment boils down to "Think nice thoughts and it will be okay" which is honestly just insulting.

I know - it is infuriating. As if anyone with depression hasn't tried to 'look on the bright side'. The trouble is when you simply can't see a bright side.

Matt Haig wants it all ways. Wants you to buy his books and find them helpful (fair enough), then when somebody says they weren't helped and it fact found the book made them worse, he basically says 'Well what did you expect? It's only a book and these are just my thoughts, I can't be expected to provide answers. Leave me alone'.

 

[TravellingPants]

He is basically the figurehead of toxic positivity. ~Good vibes only~ and no need for critical thinking skills.

It’s important for balance that people are able to discuss what they didn’t enjoy about music/books/art/films/TV… I find it so helpful if I know someone has enjoyed a lot of the same books as me, if they haven’t enjoyed something on my TBR list it moves down in priority. Doesn’t mean I won’t read it (because I have a brain and the ability to make up my own mind!) but if we have similar taste, chances are I am going to enjoy a book they’ve raved about more than one that they didn’t gel with. That’s how reviews work. Not everything can get 5* or 5* loses its meaning, and it’s meant to be subjective.

 

[Jelly Bean]

He does this too . Sets up a false argument to show how oppressed he is. These days people (including men) doing yoga and going for walks for their MH are not mocked. As far as I am aware. And if he got a negative comment I bet it was one amongst tens of thousand supportive ones. Or nobody commented as it just isn't unusual. I hate to use the term professional victim but that is exactly what he is.
And if he has only just worked out at his age it is better to be healthy than hip I despair.

ETA though I'm sure the last is a wee humble brag and he does view himself as hip.