Prince Harry Sheds Light On The Benefits Of Therapy
After Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, revealed his mental health struggles of the past and his family's response, his dedication to advocating for mental health awareness was undeniable. Prince Harry shared details with Oprah in the 2021 docuseries "The Me You Can't See," appearing in two episodes in which he dove into his past experiences dealing with grief and the pressure he felt within the royal family. "If people said, 'How are you?' I'd be like, 'fine.' Never happy. Never sad, just fine," the Duke of Sussex said, reflecting on the pain he felt after the loss of his mother, Princess Diana. "Fine was the easy answer. But I was all over the place mentally."
Between the pain he felt from his mother's death, the mounting pressure to maintain a good image within the royal family, and his 10 years in the British Army, Prince Harry said he had developed a laundry list of coping mechanisms that were not the healthiest. "I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs, I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling."
Since stepping down as a senior member of the royal family alongside his wife Meghan Markle, Prince Harry shared that he has sought treatment for his mental health struggles, according to People. And he says it has changed his life.
Prince Harry shared the importance of therapy at a surprise appearance at the Masters of Scale Summit
Prince Harry surprised attendees at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco on October 19. According to Doron Weber, an attendee and Vice President and Program Director of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Prince Harry joined the stage to share how getting mental health treatment was out of the question for most of his life. Weber tweeted a summary of Prince Harry's remarks. Growing up, Prince Harry "never heard the words 'therapy' or 'coaching,'" according to Weber. "Then the blinkers came off and his life changed," the attendee wrote.
Prince Harry didn't just share how therapy personally changed his personal life. The Duke of Sussex brought attention to how leaders can benefit from treating their mental health conditions and creating a positive, emotionally healthy workspace for employees. "From a boss standpoint, if you see your people as numbers, you will fail," Prince Harry said, according to a tweet from attendee Tjada D'Oyen McKenna. "You can't treat them as numbers, but folks who need a human connection to fire on all cylinders."
In both his personal life and on the public stage, Prince Harry is a dedicated advocate for all the benefits derived from treating mental health issues.