Prince Harry addresses mental health stigmas during Nigeria tour
Prince Harry has spoken out about his thoughts on mental health stigmas.
The Duke of Sussex is currently on a three-day trip to Nigeria with his wife, Meghan. For their first stop, the Duke and Duchess visited children at the Lights Academy in Abuja.
During a speech, father-of-two Harry spoke candidly about his experiences with mental health.
"In some places around the world, more than you would believe, there is a stigma against mental health. Too many people don't want to talk about it because it's invisible, it's in your mind and we can't see it,” the 39-year-old explained.
"But guess what? Every single person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every single person has mental health. So therefore, you have to look after yourself in order to be able to help other people, other people have to look after themselves in order to be able to look after you. That's the way it works,” he continued.
Prince Harry, who exited life as a working royal in early 2020, then went on to detail how grief can have a profound impact on your mental health.
"If you woke up this morning feeling sad, if you left school feeling stressed, if you've lost a loved one in your family who you usually turn to or speak to, all of these things you may be led to believe are not for conversation. We are here today to tell you that that is not the case,” he stated.
"Every single one of those things is completely normal. It is a human reaction, whether it's grief, stress, whatever the feeling is, it comes from experiences you have had,” he concluded, adding: “It’s okay not to be okay.”
Meghan later addressed the children herself and gushed: “Do you see why I married him? He’s so smart and inspiring, because he speaks the truth.”
The couple will later be meeting with wounded soldiers and their families. They will also attend volleyball and basketball matches, and Meghan will co-host an event on women in leadership.
