Prince Harry, as part of the promotion of his memoir ‘Spare’, held a live broadcast with the expert on “toxic injuries” Dr. Gabor Mate. In a conversation with the doctor, he discussed his psychological traumas, and the experience of drug use and told how his marriage to Meghan Markle affected his life, how his wise wife saved him and gave him a sense of freedom, Daily Mail reports.
Harry admitted that since childhood he felt different from other members of the Royal Family:
“It was like I was trapped in this container, and I know my mom felt the same way. It was as if my body was there, but my consciousness was in another place, and sometimes vice versa.” When he tried to be sincere, he was told: “Don’t be yourself, you have to do what is expected of you.”
According to Harry, Meghan helped him get out of this state.
“My wife saved me. I was stuck in that world, and she was from a completely different world and helped get me out of mine,” said Harry.
He called Meghan an “exceptional person” and expressed gratitude to her for her wisdom and the sense of freedom she gave him, but at the same time noted that his life would not have changed if he himself had not seen what was wrong with her.
He talked about how Meghan made him realize a lot and pushed him to therapy. After one of the quarrels, during which Harry behaved very rudely, she threatened that she would leave him if he treated her like that, and also asked who taught him to talk to a woman like that and whether he had encountered such a thing as a child. For Prince Harry, it turned out to be an epiphany: “I realized how such things manifest themselves and how much we are the product of our upbringing.”
According to Harry, he was afraid to go to therapy, because he believed that, “cured”, he could lose those feelings for his mother, Princess Diana, which he cherished very much.
“But everything turned out to be completely different, I didn’t lose anything, I even gained. I realized that I didn’t have to prove to her how much I miss her, that my mom would like to see me happy, and a huge load fell off my shoulders,” Prince Harry said.
He also said that the use of drugs for medical purposes helped him. In his youth, he used cocaine to “socialize” and not feel like an outcast, but it did not help him at all. However, the psychedelics and marijuana prescribed by the doctor had an effect: “It was like cleaning the windshield. They unlocked what I had been suppressing for a long time, gave me relief and peace.”
Speaking about his childhood traumas, one of the reasons for which was the emotional coldness of his father, Prince Harry stressed that he himself tries to behave differently with his children and literally “strangles” them with his love:
“I have a responsibility not to pass on any injuries and my own negative experience of growing up. I realized that vulnerability can be a strength. This is the exact opposite of what I was forced to believe. Change is scary, but I want to be a better version of myself, a better husband and father.”
Prince Harry also reacted to criticism of his book. He stated that he did not see himself as a victim and was not looking for sympathy at all, but simply wanted to tell the story himself, which was always told for him:
“I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story and hope that it can help, empower and inspire others.”
On the air, Dr. Mate suggested that Prince Harry has attention deficit disorder (ADD), based on his book and on a conversation with him.