He’s the picture of calm confidence but Prince Harry has opened up about suffering from panic attacks and social anxiety in the aftermath of his mother’s death.
Speaking candidly in a new documentary called Prince Harry: My Journey for Forces TV as he promotes the Invictus Games, the 32-year-old chats to his good friend and Paralympic champ, Dave Henson, about his mental health battles.
“When you can get your own head and self back on the right path, the amount of people you can help is unbelievable, because you can tell the signs in people. You can see it in their eyes. You can see it in them, their reactions,” Harry explains.
“In my case, suit and tie, every single time I was in any room with loads of people, which is quite often, I was just pouring with sweat, like heart beating – boom, boom, boom, boom – and literally just like a washing machine,” he tells.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, get me out of here now. Oh, hang on, I can’t get out of here, I have got to just hide it,'” the royal adds.
The avid mental health campaigner also revealed his years of service in the military, including stints in Afghanistan, took its toll and acted as a “trigger” to deal with the tragic death of Princess Diana.
During a candid chat to his mate and athlete Dave Henson, Harry admits to suffering from panic attacks and social anxiety.
“If you lose your mum at the age of 12, you have got to deal with it. The idea that 20 years later I still hadn’t really… that 15, 17 years later I still hadn’t dealt with it. Afghan was the moment where I was like, ‘Right, deal with it,'” Harry bravely admits.
“Once I plucked my head out of the sand, post-Afghan it had a huge, life-changing moment for me. It was like, right, you are Prince Harry, you can do this, as long are you’re not a complete tit, then you’re gonna be able to get that support, because you’ve got the credibility of 10 years’ service and therefore, you can really make a difference.”
WATCH: Prince Harry on the benefits of getting professional help. Post continues after the video…
“[My body] felt like a washing machine,” the 32-year-old said.
After talking to people going through the same struggles as him, the royal has worked through his issues.
“There’s similarities there and you can help them and you can have a bit of banter. And the moment you have that banter, you can see them relax.”
“You help yourself, so you can help others. And I think that is hugely powerful.”
“If you lose your mum at the age of 12, you have got to deal with it.”
Along with his older brother Prince William and sister-in-law Duchess Catherine, the royal trio have campaigned tirelessly to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage people to be more open about their struggles.
This latest interview further hammers home just how dedicated they are to the cause.
In April, the former military man revealed he was “very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions” in his late ’20s and turned to counselling for help.
The full documentary will air in the UK this Wednesday.
Prince Harry, Prince William and Duchess Catherine have thrown out the royal rule book as they campaign to break the stigma surrounding mental heath.
