Prince Harry Current Events 28: April 2015 - June 2017

[HRHHermione]

Prince Harry's interview was lovely and I think it will help a lot of people. It's good to know that he is so much happier in his personal life these days. It explains a lot.

 

[Osipi]

It takes quite a bit of courage to go public and discuss things that haunted him for years before he sought professional help to deal with his emotions.

Sometimes going through the worse of times and facing the challenges are in and of themselves a blessing as its gives a person the ability to stand up and say "I've been there. I've been where you are now and if I can come to deal with it, so can you." Sometimes seeing a professional, one has no clue if the professional has even had to deal with these kind of issues. Its therefore so much more comforting to know and listen to someone that's been there.

 

[DeeT]

This is one thing I really do admire about Harry. Just the actions he takes sometimes when he's involved with something. Not just putting his name as a patron on a letterhead or showing up for photo ops but actively getting into the thick of things. It shows real commitment on his part and you know when you see Harry standing up somewhere and addressing an issue, he knows what he is talking about.

Harry has just done an incredibly personal interview discussing his own issues with mental health. It is a podcast, almost 30 minutes.

Prince Harry: I sought counselling after the death of my mother led to two years of 'total chaos' in my twenties - exclusive Telegraph interview

 

[MaiaMia_53]

Prince Harry spoke for about 30 minutes on a podcast with The Telegraph's Bryony Gordon on the topic of mental health: "Mad World: Why it's totally normal to feel weird"

Prince Harry: I sought counselling after the death of my mother led to two years of 'total chaos' in my twenties - exclusive Telegraph interview

Prince Harry discusses how he sought counseling after enduring 'two years' of total chaos in his late twenties struggling to come to terms with the death of his mother (with having largely shut down emotionally from the age of 12). Ms. Gordon and Prince Harry recently spoke at Kensington Palace. It's worthwhile listening. Harry also talks about the impetus for starting the mental health charity, Heads Together.

ETA:
I'm sorry, I see now that @eya had already posted a link to The Telegraph podcast, along with some other related articles.

 

[Curryong]

What an extraordinary and moving interview. Thank you Eya, DeeT and MaiaMia for posting this. I'd say it's the closest any member of the BRF, apart from Diana, has come to describing their raw emotions, their feelings about how events have shaped them. To shut yourself off in your early teens and then experience such troughs of anger and depression through most of your twenties is really profound.

 

[MaiaMia_53]

Definitely it is incredibly moving. I was very touched listening to the genuine passion in his voice. The part about William being a support to Harry and trying to get him to go for help and open up about what he was feeling sheds light on their very close relationship. Harry goes on to say that he wasn't ready right away, so he understands how hard it is to take the steps to seek help and he also knows from experience that it's not easy to find the right person to talk with who can actually help. There is a lot of personal insight into Harry's personality and years growing up in his twenties in this interview.

The main things are what a down-to-earth and caring person Harry is with a great sense of humor. Also, it's cool how Harry acknowledges that he, William and Kate are at a stage in life where they can do things to support this type of cause and bring attention to it, but that the thanks should go not to them but to others who helped make it successful and to the British public who are rallying around the project. I had to smile when Harry spoke of recognizing that the day will soon come when Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and perhaps his own future kids will be taking over the spotlight, and he will be happy to fade into the background.

Harry has really grown as a person and that comes across very strongly in this interview. He even touches slightly on how the help he received to face his struggles has enabled him to better help others, and to also take his public and his private life more seriously.

 

[sndral]

It seems that Harry and William are quite close, given Harry's remarks about his brother in the article/interview.

 

[MaiaMia_53]

Prince Harry's interview was lovely and I think it will help a lot of people. It's good to know that he is so much happier in his personal life these days. It explains a lot.

Yes, that's why it's great that Prince Harry has reached a point where he's able to talk about his anguish over his mother's death a bit more openly, in service of trying to help others.

The Las Vegas incident several years ago may have been part of the trigger that made him realize he wanted to turn his life around and face up to the painful feelings he was trying to shed by having a raucous good time with pals and pretending to be 'fine.'

 

[Curryong]

Yes, they've said before that William and Harry help and support each other. On one engagement I remember, in which people had to write down on a slate who they would turn to if they needed advice, William wrote his brother's name down. They are the only two people in the world who shared their particular and unique childhood experiences, their parents' horrendous marriage and its aftermath, and their beloved mother's death.

 

[HRHHermione]

I think it helps explain how much happier and more secure Harry has appeared in the last two years, including his obviously very serious relationship with Ms. Markle and his settling into his public role. I loved that he felt comfortable sharing this and it will help people.

 

[TLLK]

My brother, you know, bless him, he was a huge support to me. He kept saying this is not right, this is not normal

-Prince Harry

Thank goodness that Harry came to the realization that he needed help. It's not an easy decision to come to and it can be so difficult to take that first step in seeking treatment.

 

[Dman]

Just listened to the whole interview and I'm amazed on how open and honest Harry was. My family and I was just talking about mental issues and how literally the whole country is suffering from some sort of mental problems. Likely the world has these problems.

Mental health is not widely talked about. These issues have been going in for centuries and some much of it is overlooked and completely ignored. We can no longer hold back and sit and suffer any longer. I'm so happy that the Cambridge's and Harry has teamed up together on these issues. The more they talk about their problems and others do the same, the better we'll be in breaking down mental health issues and conquer our problems.

 

[Lady Nimue]

Makes him better marriage material, far and away. Changes the playing field considerably. When I saw all the mental health charities coming to the fore recently I had a hunch. Good news. Well done, Harry.

 

[Osipi]

What I find that is so amazing here is for anyone listening to Harry's interview and his openness and honesty about what he's gone through and what it took to seek help, it comes with the stark realization that if Harry can be so open about something that affected him so strongly in his life and people just seem to like the guy even more, respect him and maybe even identify with Harry then its very probable that being like Harry and talking to someone and finding solutions to things needed to be dealt with will be be met with the same reaction that Harry's getting.

Its not a stigma anymore but rather a huge badge of courage to seek help when help is needed. Harry is truly a role model in this respect.

 

[Curryong]

In light of Harry's moving interview, broadcast today, I do wonder why Charles didn't get both his boys counselling following Diana's death. If a child of twelve never speaks about their mother and believes that it's better to internalise everything, then surely an intuitive parent would come to the conclusion that something was up?

We are after all not speaking of the 1890's or 1950's. There were plenty of grief therapists around in the 1990's, including some who specialised in counselling bereaved children. It just seems to me that Charles was oblivious to other people's emotions, to so much that was going on around him at various points in his life. It shouldn't be up to a brother when both boys are grown men to encourage the younger to seek help.

 

[Iluvbertie]

They spent most of their time at school and Eton had an excellent counselling set up in the late 80s and early 90s.

Maybe the boys refused to go or went and didn't really participate.

Charles did reportedly encourage them to talk about their mother as did Tiggy but talking about her isn't the same as talking about how she died and how that affected him.

 

[Dman]

They spent most of their time at school and Eton had an excellent counselling set up in the late 80s and early 90s.

Maybe the boys refused to go or went and didn't really participate.

Charles did reportedly encourage them to talk about their mother as did Tiggy but talking about her isn't the same as talking about how she died and how that affected him.

The British royal stiff upper lip wasn't much help either. They should've had the best counseling possible. I used wonder if they had received help. Now we know that didn't happen. Imagine how tough it was for them in the aftermath years of her passing. Couldn't have been easy for the boys with papa Wales moving on pretty fast.

 

[Lady Nimue]

There is in the insistence on making Charles culpable for all something unhealthy. If in what Harry did, commendable, there is a continuation of blame, that Harry does not correct, then nothing is 'solved', nothing is 'healed'. The 'worm' just digs in deeper. When will it all be over?

 

[Dman]

There is in the insistence on making Charles culpable for all something unhealthy. If in what Harry did, commendable, there a continuation of blame, that Harry does not correct, then nothing is 'solved', nothing is 'healed'. The 'worm' just digs in deeper. When will it all be over?

I don't know. It was a tough situation, but at least Harry has come out through the other side and now able to talk about his issues and is willing to get others to talk about theirs.

I'm sure his father and the rest of their families are proud of what they're doing with Heads Together.

 

[Osipi]

The British royal stiff upper lip wasn't much help either. They should've had the best counseling possible. I used wonder if they had received help. Now we know that didn't happen. Imagine how tough it was for them in the aftermath years of her passing. Couldn't have been easy for the boys with papa Wales moving on pretty fast.

The thing is, even with the finest counseling in the land and the urgings of all their loved ones to do this and do that and face their grief, nothing will work until the person themselves is ready to take the first step and admit he needs the help. Harry and William both probably had many opportunities to see therapists, counselors and talk about their loss with their loved ones but internally, they weren't ready. Therapy and counseling only works if there is participation willingly from both the therapist and the patient.

We can't throw stones here. Its no ones fault. Lets just be glad that Harry has finally come to grips with his emotions and is now an outstanding role model for those that perhaps are going through the same challenges that Harry did.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I think lots of people go through similar emotions and problems, losing a parent at a very young age and struggling/not being able to cope with the loss.
But I cannot imagine how hard it must be to go through these emotions and problems with the public watching all the time.
Usually I am not a fan of discussing such private feelings publicly but in Harry's case, because the public has been there all the way, I think it's a very good idea to share his emotions.
Many private people will not recover from such a loss, therefore I am glad that Harry finally was able to move on.

 

[Muhler]

Not only is this counseling beneficial for Harry but being the person he is, he may encourage or at least make it less embarrassing for others to seek counseling. - People who might otherwise be reluctant to do something like that.

 

[wyevale]

BRAVO Sir. NOTHING will raise the issue of bereavement, and its ramifications for Mental Health better than a Prince of the Realm opening up about it.
Today it is 'top billing'on every newspaper and broadcast media in a manner that this subject never has been in the past.

 

[Pranter]

Excellent...I suspected long time back with the strong interest in mental health issues from the younger royals there had been one (or more) of them who'd needed professional counseling. Hardly a surprise considering.

Anyone who doubts W&H are very close (and have always been) should realize how things really are.


LaRae

 

[TLLK]

The thing is, even with the finest counseling in the land and the urgings of all their loved ones to do this and do that and face their grief, nothing will work until the person themselves is ready to take the first step and admit he needs the help. Harry and William both probably had many opportunities to see therapists, counselors and talk about their loss with their loved ones but internally, they weren't ready. Therapy and counseling only works if there is participation willingly from both the therapist and the patient.

We can't throw stones here. Its no ones fault. Lets just be glad that Harry has finally come to grips with his emotions and is now an outstanding role model for those that perhaps are going through the same challenges that Harry did.

Good points Osipi. I absolutely agree that neither brother would have truly benefited from counseling if they were not in a place to admit that they needed the assistance. None of the mental health care professionals would or could have shared that they were treating the brothers after Diana's death. I do believe that Charles, the school staff and others close to them would have been advised to watch for changes in behavior and to be open to listening to them. However you have to permit the patient to take the lead on when they are ready to begin the healing process. Harry's own words suggest that he wasn't ready to do so for years.

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?

 

[loonytick]

I'll chime in with another huge bravo to Prince Harry for opening up about his struggles. Part of the sickness of many mental health challenges is feeling as though talking about it would be just too difficult to bear; it's such a help to have a very visible example of someone who is honest and forthcoming about both the depths of their low times and the help they found through the difficult work of talking through their problems.

In some ways, this has echoes to me of the Queen Mother insisting that being bombed in the Blitz meant she could look East Enders in the eye. Harry has for several years now championed the idea that people who need mental health services should find the courage to use them, even if it means setting aside pride or fear. Now he can look troubled people in the eye and say clearly that he has made that difficult step of seeking help himself, just as he's asking them to do.

 

[Rudolph]

Harry has for several years now championed the idea that people who need mental health services should find the courage to use them, even if it means setting aside pride or fear. Now he can look troubled people in the eye and say clearly that he has made that difficult step of seeking help himself, just as he's asking them to do.

He's urging people to just talk about it. That's what Heads Together is about.

It doesn't necessarily mean a professional. It could be a friend, a relative, spouse or just someone you trust.

The press is really pushing the fact he sought counselling but as Harry said, you need to talk to someone

 

[pooky929]

Bless his heart. I love Prince Harry and Prince William. People forget they had to deal with believing paparazzi killed Princess of Wales to conspiracy theories that she was indeed murdered as well.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I remember about 4-5 years ago shortly after Harry's infamous escapades in Las Vegas, I came on this Forum and voiced the opinion that something was "off" about him, that he seemed out of control and should probably seek professional help. I also posted that I felt it was something to do with a delayed grief reaction to the loss of his mother

I am relieved that not only that he took his brother William's excellent(imo) advice and sought help, but that he seems happier and more settled now.

 

[Pranter]

He's done a lot of maturing in the past 3/5 years.

LaRae