While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have stepped away from their royal titles—and are preparing to welcome a baby girl in a few months time—the pair look to be making the most of their recent move across the pond.
As fans already know, Prince Harry has taken a particular interest in mental health awareness, thanks to his long-time advocacy, his new job post-royal life, and now, his new documentary series with Oprah Winfrey on mental health, The Me You Can’t See.
The series, which premiered in the last week, features personal accounts of mental health battles by Lady Gaga and Glenn Close, amongst many others. As for Oprah and Harry, they also dig into their own mental battles, with Harry speaking candidly about how he handled his mother’s death and his “bottled up” grief that led to panic attacks and heavy drinking.
In an episode of the docuseries, the Duke of Sussex admits he was “all over the place mentally” and described the years between when he was 28 to 32 as a “nightmare in my life”, recalling “panic attacks” and “severe anxiety” that he’d experience prior to royal engagements.
WATCH BELOW: The Me You Can’t See Trailer
“Before I even left the house, I was pouring with sweat and my heart was racing. I was in the fight-or-flight mode”, he explained. “I would just start sweating… I would feel as though my body temperature was two or three degrees warmer than everybody else in the room.”
“I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs, I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling. I would probably drink a week’s worth in one day on a Friday or a Saturday night.”
He then spoke of his journey to seek therapy, which was a choice that he revealed was prompted by both an argument with his wife, Meghan Markle, and the fear that he could lose her as a result of not seeking help.
“I saw GPs. I saw doctors. I saw therapists. I saw alternative therapists. I saw all sorts of people, but it was meeting and being with Meghan,” he explained. “I knew that if I didn’t do the therapy and fix myself that I was going to lose this woman who I could see spending the rest of my life with.”
He continued: “I’m now more comfortable in my own skin. I don’t get panic attacks. I have learned more about myself in the last four years than I have in the 32 years before that. I have my wife to thank for that.”
“To make that decision to receive help is not a sign of weakness,” he said. “In today’s world, more than ever, it is a sign of strength.”
The Me You Can’t See is currently available to watch on Apple TV+ here.
