In an unprecedentedly candid interview, Prince Harry has revealed that he sought counselling in the years after his late mother’s death in order to come to terms with his loss.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Prince Harry said that he underwent two years of ‘chaos’ in his twenties when he came close to a breakdown on a number of occasions.
He said that despite his brother, Prince William, urging Harry to get help, he “shut down all of his emotions” for almost twenty years after Diana, Princess of Wales’s death.
The fifth-in-line to the throne has made the disclosures as part of an effort to encourage people to speak out about their mental health, and any problems they may have.
In the Telegraph’s exclusive interview, the Prince said that he was “on the verge of punching someone” at the point when he finally sought help at the age of 28.
Now 32-years-old, Prince Harry said that he was “very close to complete breakdown on a number of occasions.”
He said: “I can count myself very lucky.
“It was twenty years of not thinking about it and two years of chaos.
“I can safely say that losing my Mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had quite a serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well.
The Prince confided that he sought counselling, and that it helped significantly by talking to someone.
The news comes after it was revealed that Prince Harry himself had taken part in a course where he has been training to become a counsellor.
The Prince took part in the two-day course with the aim of helping veterans battle the trauma of combat.
On the course, he learnt how to help people who are suffering from post-traumatic stress as he volunteered at the British Army’s Personnel Recovery Unit in 2016. “It ran through the range of options that veterans face,” says a royal source.
A source said: “It [the course] ran through the range of options that veterans face.”
Very old “news”
You may think it “very old news,” but if it’s relevant and potentially helpful to someone, there’s no harm. Quite the contrary!
All right. I’ll grant you that. True
I commend Harry on finding help. After the death of my grandfather (my dad’s father), my family not only broke apart, but I did exactly what Harry did and just shut down. I was deeply affected by the loss of my grandfather because I was 8 years old when he died from stomach cancer and I was born on his birthday. So we shared the same birthday. I didn’t care if I lived or died for almost 20 years. Thankfully, I’ve always had my parents but I wasn’t myself for many years. I suppressed my emotions. I attempted suicide at 16, had a mild nervous breakdown at 19 and a full blown nervous breakdown at 21. So believe me, I get it. I’ve been getting better since then and have gone back to school and completed my grade 12 this past October (2016) after dropping out at 17. Life can still be rocky at times, but I’m working on getting better each day and have LITERALLY kicked out EVERYONE….. who was toxic in my life. I commend Harry for getting help. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. Especially someone you’re close with. It only makes me respect him more. Diana will always be remembered. Forever England’s Rose.