Prince Harry Reveals How Counseling Helped Him Cope with Diana’s Death
In a surprising candid interview, Prince Harry recently revealed that seeking help after two years of “total chaos” has brought him to a “good place,”. Britain’s Prince Harry revealed his struggles in the wake of Princess Diana’s death in 1997. The 32-year-old prince told The Telegraph that his way of dealing with his mother’s sudden death in a car accident in Paris was to simply shut down his emotions. “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 a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well,” said Harry. He added: “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? It’s only going to make you sad. It’s not going to bring her back.” By the time he was in his 20s, Harry said he felt like he was going to explode. “I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief, lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle,” he said.
Harry spoke about his experiences as part of The Telegraph’s series of “Mad World” podcasts about how people grapple with mental health issues. The prince participated in order to battle the stigma surrounding opening up about personal problems and to encourage people to get help. Harry and his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have also set up the charity Heads Together to promote mental health. Harry gained a reputation known as the wild brother, particularly after photos of his partying nude hijinks in a Las Vegas hotel room came to light in 2012. Now he’s involved in numerous charitable projects such as supporting the Invictus Games for Wounded Warriors, working to eliminate hidden land mines, encouraging HIV testing and helping to save elephants in Africa.
As for his emotional struggles, including two years of “total chaos,” Harry said he finally sought counseling at the age of 28 and started opening up about his feelings. He also said boxing lessons helped after he came very close to “punching someone.” Now, he’s in a “good place.” Harry encouraged others to learn from his struggles.
“The experience I have had is that once you start talking about it, you realize that actually you are part of quite a big club,” he said.
Did Counseling Help Harry To Heal His Heart and Steady His Life?
Susan Z’s Conclusion:
Most Definitely
Eight of Cups:
This card represents disappointment in life and love, an obvious pull for Prince Harry. I feel this card shows that he will never truly lose the hurt of losing his mother at such a young age but now chooses to look forward instead of to the past.
Six of Wands: Inverted (Upside Down)
This card represents a victory in a life situation. Because the card is inverted, I believe there was a part of Harry that did not want to let go of the anger over his loss but as he grew older realized how destructive it was.
Ace of Pentacles:
This card represents wealth and social position. I feel that Harry realizes he can use his privileged birth and position in life to help others who have gone through what he has and give more meaning to the memory of his mother’s legacy.
Susan Z Rich is an emotional addiction counselor, spiritual intuitive and holistic therapist. She counsels others to see life in a more positive way and teaches personal accountability for life choices. She is also the author of several children’s books and Soul Windows…Secrets From The Divine.