Prince Harry has been praised by charities for talking about his own personal experiences with mental health, which experts claim is helping to remove stigma on the illness and will encourage other men to seek help.
Harry openly admitted that his 20’s were “total chaos” and that he saw a psychiatrist to overcome emotions over the death of his mother because he had completely “shut down” following Diana’s death in 1997. He said he was inspired to speak out because of his involvement with mental health charity Heads Together and because he has come out the other side “in a good place now.” Following the interviews, Sir Simon Wessely, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said, “He has a reach across the world that people like me can only dream – he will have communicated in a way that I have been working all my life to achieve.” While Paul Farmer, CEO of charity Mind, described the interview as “inspiring.” According to official figures 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental health at some stage in their lives.
