Kate’s bro on mental illness fight back
The brother of the Duchess of Cambridge has revealed how he suffered depression and came close to giving up his business.
James Midd l e ton described the illness as a “cancer of the mind”.
The 31-year- old stopped communicating with his friends and family.
He said that although he didn’t consider suicide, he did not want to live with his state of mind.
James – owner of card company Boomf – said he felt he has a duty to speak out because his sister Kate and her brother- in- law Prince Harry lead Heads Together, a charity who tackle mental health issues.
James – who also has attention deficit disorder – said he was hit with cl inical depression in December 2016.
He recalled: “The best part of 2017 passed in a fog. I barely functioned.
“I stopped talking to my friends, went through the motions of l iving and work ing but achieved nothing at all.
“I came very close to shutting my company down.”
He added that af ter “months of sleeplessness” he contacted his doctor.
He said: “When I rang her, I felt as if I was trying to hold in a waterfall of emotion.”
He managed to say: “I’m not OK. I need some help.”
James said his association with the royal family has led him to voice his story.
He added: “If I could leave you with just one thought, it would be this – it’s OK not to be OK.”