Prince Harry on Mental Health

Under normal circumstances one has better things to do with one’s time than to consider the comings and goings of Great Britain’s exiled idiot prince, Harry, the Duke of Sussex.

And yet, in an astonishing interview with a crackpot psychologist by the name of Gregor Mate, Prince Harry opined seriously about his mental health. And he offered recommendations for anyone who wanted to reach the same state of terminal derangement.

In truth, he was not just promoting trauma therapy-- which is all the rage across the country-- but he advised people to try out various controlled substances. 

Dr. Max Pemberton, known for being sane and sensible, responds in the Daily Mail. Pemberton is a psychiatrist and he sees patients who have tried the drugs that Harry is recommending, so we ought to take him seriously:

Once again Prince Harry is wading into the debate on mental health with reckless ignorance, oblivious to the facts and the catastrophic effects his words could have.

He speaks about using drugs that are illegal in this country, proclaiming the benefits he has enjoyed from cannabis and hallucinogenics such as ayahuasca. It’s hugely irresponsible.

Harry plainly has no understanding of the serious damage these substances can wreak on users – damage that I see on mental health hospital wards with upsetting frequency.

If he was any other celebrity, we could safely ignore him. But this is a man who uses his platform as a member of the Royal Family and sets himself up as a serious advocate for mental health policies.

No one has asked him to do this. He has adopted this course of action for his own reasons – and he seems to think that, since he doesn’t regret his own choices with drug use, these must be good for everyone.

A self-appointed guru, who knows nothing about the effects of these chemical substances, Harry would have done better to keep his mouth shut.

Is Harry a good advertisement for the effectiveness of these drugs? Pemberton says No:

Speaking objectively, from a distance, he doesn’t look to me like a great advert for marijuana, cocaine or anything else.

He appears neither particularly happy nor stable. Looking at the recent outcomes of his life, he has left his home country, broken off relations with members of his family, seems distanced from his friends back home and no longer has an Army career.

That doesn’t strike me as a ringing endorsement for self-medication with mind-altering substances.

At best, we can say that if drug use has not exacerbated his mental health problems, then he can count himself extremely fortunate.

As for the research about the use of these controlled substances,, Pemberton offers this:

Research by the Royal College of Psychiatrists shows that regular use of marijuana doubles the risk of developing schizophrenia or experiencing a psychotic episode – and that these dangers are more marked in young users.

Harry also didn’t highlight the evidence that prolonged cannabis use is associated with personality and behavioural change, especially social withdrawal and what psychiatrists call ‘avolition’ – a lack of self-directed motivation.

Numerous studies have linked the drug to dropping out of school or university, lower income, greater dependence on benefits, unemployment and dissatisfaction with life – as well as an increased propensity to suicide.

As for his enthusiasm for ayahuasca, a mind-altering drink made from plants found in the Amazon rainforest including the Psychotria viridis shrub, I am almost speechless at the stupidity of his endorsement.

Any qualified psychiatrist who promoted this drug as a panacea for all would probably deserve to be struck off. The Duke of Sussex has forfeited any right he might have had to be seen as a credible representative for mental health charities.

Ayahuasca causes paranoia and panic attacks which can do lasting mental damage – quite aside from its unpleasant physical side effects, which include vomiting and diarrhoea. Harry’s twee description of it as a windscreen wiper for the mind is a complete and utter embarrassment.

For anyone who knows the truth about these drugs, Prince Harry embarrassed himself. He also led more than a few people astray. He should have shut the fuck up:

Prince Harry has to realise that his experiences are completely insulated from everyone else’s reality – and his self-serving words can cause immense harm to people whose lives he will never understand.

[See also this story about a woman who tried ayahuasca and ended up committing suicide