Mental health charity Mind and Time to Change have praised Prince Harry for speaking out and seeking help to overcome his grief after losing his mother Princess Diana when he was only 12. Prince Harry said that it was not until he was in his late 20s that he was able to process his grief and that he spent nearly 20 years not thinking about her death.
Harry admitted to the chaos this emotional denial had – taking a toll both on his personal and work life.He said: “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? (I thought) it’s only going to make you sad, it’s not going to bring her back. So from an emotional side, I was like ‘right, don’t ever let your emotions be part of anything’.
Sue Baker, director of Time to Change, said “Prince Harry sharing his experiences of mental health issues and the counselling he sought as a result of losing his mother will have helped change attitudes, not just at home but also overseas."
The Prince now joins the sports people, music stars and politicians and business leaders as well as everyday people in sharing their mental health experiences, hoping that the experiences will help tackle the issue of mental health.
