Facing his demons over Diana’s death could help Harry to settle down with Meghan, claim experts
PRINCE Harry’s decision to talk openly about undergoing therapy to cope with losing his mother Princess Diana could help him settle down, experts said yesterday.
Harry – who is dating US actress Meghan Markle – finally sought help after waiting nearly 20 years following Diana’s tragic death in a car crash.
By speaking out, the prince has come to terms with demons in his life and it will help his daily relationships, according to mental health charities.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said opening the conversation is “the first step in making sure people get the help and support they need”.
He added: “It’s inspiring to see Prince Harry speaking out about his experiences. It shows how far we have come in changing public attitudes to mental health that someone so high profile can open up about something so difficult and personal.
Struggling
“We know that this will have a huge impact on people who are still struggling in silence with their mental health. Every time someone in the public eye speaks up we know that it encourages ordinary members of the public to do the same.
“Prince Harry speaking so candidly is a true turning point that shows that as a society we must no longer adopt a ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude and that we need to talk openly about mental health, something that affects us all directly.”
Harry, 32, has confirmed he is dating Miss Markle, 35, but has not said he is about to settle down. However, the cathartic effect of speaking can improve relationships, it is claimed.
His decision to go public with his own struggles will also help countless others – especially men who tend to suffer mental illness in silence, according to mental health campaigners.
Sue Baker, director of the Time to Change campaign, said: “Prince Harry sharing his experiences of mental health issues, and the counselling he sought as a result of losing his mother will have helped change attitudes, not just at home but also overseas.
“It was a dream of mine 20 years ago that we’d see the Royal Family join sports people, music stars, politicians and business leaders as well as everyday people in sharing their mental health experiences in all sorts of communities.
“People speaking out helps to overturn generations of stigma by shifting outdated attitudes and challenging discrimination, and that together we are making long-lasting positive social change.”
Harry revealed he sought help following two years of “total chaos” in his life. He said this
came after he had spent nearly 20 years “not thinking” about Diana’s death.
Harry was 12 years old when his mother – then divorced from father Charles – was killed in a car crash but he said it was not until his late 20s that he processed the grief.
Harry said: “My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help?
“I thought it’s only going to make you sad, it’s not going to bring her back.
“So from an emotional side, I was like ‘right, don’t ever let your emotions be part of anything’. So I was a typical 20, 25, 28-year-old running around going ‘life is great’, or ‘life is fine’ and that was exactly it.
“And then I started to have a few conversations and actually all of a sudden, all of this grief that I have never processed started to come to the forefront and I was like, there is actually a lot of stuff here that I need to deal with.”
He added he had shut down his emotions after Diana’s death which had “a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well”. The Prince said he sought help after his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, told him: “Look, you really need to deal with this. It is not normal to think that nothing has affected you.”
Harry said boxing “saved” him after he took it up to deal with his aggression, having come close to “punching someone” when he was 28.
“It was 20 years of not thinking about it and two years of total chaos,” he explained.
Asked whether he had ever been to see a “shrink”, he replied: “I’ve done that a couple of times, more than a couple of times, but it’s great.” Harry said he was now in a “good place” because of the “process I have been through over the past two and a half years”.
“I’ve now been able to take my work seriously, been able to take my private life seriously as well, and been able to put blood, sweat and tears into the things that really make a difference and things that I think will make a difference to everybody else.”
Harry is spearheading the Heads Together mental health campaign alongside William and the Duchess of Cambridge.
It is charity of the year for Sunday’s London Marathon.