Stop Surviving Start Fighting

By: Jazz Thornton

Narrated by: Jazz Thornton

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Jazz Thornton first attempted to take her own life at the age of 12. Multiple attempts followed and she spent time in psychiatric wards and under medical supervision as she rode the roller coaster of depression and anxiety through her teenage years - yet the attempts continued.

Find out what Jazz learned about how her negative thought patterns came to be and how she turned those thoughts - and her life - around. Who and what helped and what didn't help. The insights she gives will help create greater understanding of those grappling with mental illness and provide support for those around them who desperately want to help.

Jazz went on to attend film school and to co-found Voices of Hope, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping those with mental health issues and show them there is a way forward. She creates online content to provide hope and help.

Her first video Dear Suicidal Me has had over 80 million views all around the world. She went on to create Jessica's Tree, a web series that follows the 24 hours between a friend, Jess, going missing and the discovery of her body. It provides insights into Jessica's struggles, to help people better understand those suffering from depression. Jessica's Tree was viewed more than 230,000 times in the two months following its release in March 2019 and immediately began winning international recognition and awards, including the Huawei Mate30 Pro New Zealand Television Awards 2019 Best Web Series.

The process and the delicate decisions that had to be made to create Jessica's Tree have themselves been documented in a film about Jazz called The Girl on the Bridge, due for release early in 2020.

©2020 Jazz Thornton (P)2020 Penguin Random House New Zealand

Absolutely changed my life

This book has just changed my whole life. I relate so much and I didn’t realize that I was just surviving, I haven’t been fighting. So today, February 3rd I pledge to start fighting and stop surviving. A year ago today I attempted to take my life, I felt like I had no future, no hope. But you have showed me there is hope and I am not alone. Thank you Jazz

I'm so glad I found you.

I found Jazz on Tic Tock. I instantly love you. keep up all that you do for you and the world. My life is better due to you!!!

Fantastic and hopeful

I listened to this book to use as a resource for teenage girls I work with who have similar struggles as the author. This book was real and raw and also hopeful, which doesn’t always happen in memoirs regarding mental health. I also liked how she highlighted the steps she took and the way she actually began engaging in therapy. As a therapist, I’d rate this book 5/5.

To learn I am not my mental illness

I totally enjoyed this book after being in such a dark place hearing someone else having similar experiences and overcoming has given me hope

Read it and you might save your life

I lost my Mom last year and I've been spiralling since. I found Jazz on TikTok after an add for the app just wouldn't stop coming up. I starting following her and starting learning her story. I knew I wasn't fighting, that I was only surviving that wasn't news to me, I stopped fighting awhile ago. I decided to buy the book but because of Covid it hasn't shipped yet. I heard it was free on audible and had to hear it in her voice. I realized that my identity is just my trauma and the entire time I thought that's just who I am. I thought I owned it that it was mine but really my trauma owns me. I have made multiple attempts throughout my life and I've always known that one day my life would end by suicide, but if I actually start fighting maybe I can own what I've been through. Maybe I can learn to live. So if you're struggling right now choose to read this book it might just open your eyes. Thank you Jazz for sharing your story I am 35 years old and thought I was beyond help.

Thank you for sharing your story

I decided to read this book because I follow jazz on TikTok. I did not realize it would also help me. I have a grandson who suffers with mental illness reading your story gives me a better understanding.

phenomenal

jazz tells her story which in it of itself is heartbreaking. telling your story is so hard. thank you jazz. you have no idea what this means to me.

Inspiring

As someone who struggled with suicidal thoughts, I highly recommend this book to everyone. X

Inspirational!!

This book was absolutely amazing!! An inspirational story of hope by an amazing woman! This book flowed so nicely and was written without triggers, yet with some good skills! Big thank you to the author, Jazz, for writing this, and for being my inspiration. I hope that one day I can go on and walk in your footsteps and continue your work in mental health :)

This really helped me!!

So I’m currently working on my mental health Journey and I have so many similarities to Jazz and Jess so it has really helped me to read and watch both movies and understand that other people have gone through what I have and also have similar thought patterns. I hope to end up working with Jazz one day because I have a business project that I will soon be working on and I think she would be a great asset to help work on it.