Prince Harry Says He "Probably Would Have Done Less Drugs" If He'd Been Offered Therapy After His Mother's Death
The prince has been open about going to therapy as an adult.
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry heartbreakingly describes how he was told about his mother Princess Diana's death, and what happened afterwards.
Speaking to Good Morning America's Michael Strahan, the Duke of Sussex explained about the aftermath of Diana's accident, "I don't think my family knew what to do. I don't think they knew what to do, and I can't say whether other families would have done a better job.
"I wish I had the ability or the opportunity to do some form of therapy, or at least be able to talk more about losing my mum and celebrating her life. But who's to say that at age 12, whether I would have even said yes to that?"
For the Archewell cofounder, therapy would have been immensely helpful for him at that time, to help him feel less adrift after losing his mother as a young boy.
"If you asked me the question, like, 'How would your life have been different if you had done therapy then?', well, I probably would have done less drugs," Harry said.
"I would probably have drunk less, partied less—not to say I wouldn't have partied and done all those things, I probably would have done, but not for the reason that I was doing them. For me, it was kind of either trying to find a feeling or numb a feeling, but my military service literally saved me."
Prince Harry served in the British Army for ten years, which included two tours in Afghanistan.
As an adult, he has been open about how helpful seeing a therapist has been for him. These days, he's an outspoken advocate for mental wellbeing, including within his role as Chief Impact Officer for BetterUp, a "mental fitness" startup.
"The moment I started doing therapy, it opened my eyes. I was moving through life thinking there was only one way to live and therapy burst that bubble," Harry said in a chat with BetterUp CEO Alexi Robichaux in October (via the Telegraph).
"Then, when I found my way to coaching, the next bubble burst, and all of a sudden I realized that now I have perspective and a great understanding of my value. I regained confidence that I never thought I had."
Spare is out now and available from all major book retailers.
