Meghan Markle on why she shared her fight for mental health “despite every second of what comes with it”

Just two days before the release of the first three episodes of her Netflix documentary series, harry and meghanMeghan Markle opened up about why she spoke to Oprah about the mental health issues she had while working as a senior member of the royal family, hinting in her comments as to why she generally believes sharing her story is worth “every second of what comes.”

As background, Meghan told Oprah in her March 2021 interview that the treatment she received from the British press and some members of the royal family and their staff led her to suicidal thoughts while pregnant with her first child, Archie. Look, I was really embarrassed to say it at the time and embarrassed that I had to admit it, to [my husband Prince] Harry especially, because I know how much loss he has suffered. But he knew that if he didn’t say it, he would, and he just didn’t want to stay alive. And that was a very clear, real, scary constant thought,” he told Oprah.

Meghan went to the royal family “and said I needed to go somewhere to get help, said I’ve never felt like this before and I need to go somewhere, and they said I couldn’t, it wouldn’t be good for the institution,” said.

“I share this because there are many people who are afraid to express that they need help,” he continued. “And I know personally how difficult it is, not only is it difficult, but when your voice is silenced, to be told no… It was emails, begging for help, saying very specifically that I am concerned about my mental well-being… I never know He did nothing. So we had to find a solution.” Meghan and Harry finally stepped down from their working roles with the royal family in January 2020.

At the Ripple of Hope Awards gala in New York City last night, Meghan told the audience why she decided to detail her experience publicly. “It was not an easy decision to make, as you can imagine,” she began, via page six.

“I don’t want anyone to feel alone. And when you’ve been through something that’s challenging, and everyone, especially in recent years with lockdown and COVID, that increase in the number of people having an experience that they may not be expressing,” she added. “We all need, when we can, if we’re feeling brave enough, to just speak honestly about our own experience. It gives other people the space and the courage to do the same, but more than that to really feel like you’re not alone, because I think that’s often the biggest obstacle when you feel like that, you don’t see a way out.”

“But ultimately, if you feel like there’s someone else who has a lived experience. they’ve made it to the other side and set an example of resilience, an example of ‘there’s a happy ending,’ I think that’s what most people are probably looking for in those moments,” she said. “And that’s why I made the decision to just say ‘if my experience can help someone else not feel the same way or know there’s hope, then it’s worth every second of what comes with it.”

If you or someone you know is at risk, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to 741741 to send a message with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line free of charge. . You can find more resources on his site here.

Senior News and Strategy Editor

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Alyssa Bailey is the Senior Editor for News and Strategy at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions in Fashion Y Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running through Central Park, having people take #ootd photos of her, and exploring New York City.