Prince Harry was diagnosed with a handful of mental health disorders on Saturday during a livestream discussion with Dr. Gabor Maté. Prince Harry and Maté had a conversation about mental health organized by the publisher of their books, Penguin Random House. During the talk, Maté reportedly diagnosed Prince Harry with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.
Prince Harry’s memoir Spare hit shelves in January, and it deals with Prince Harry’s personal mental health as well as his advocacy for better mental health services for people around the world. It’s no surprise that his publisher paired him with Maté for his latest promotional event, as Maté has written his own book about childhood development and the systemic issues that poor mental health can cause. Their conversation streamed live on Saturday and was not recorded, but according to a report by TMZ it got quite personal.
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Maté and Prince Harry discussed the contents of Prince Harry’s book, including the granular details of Prince Harry’s upbringing and the drama of his personal life that have consumed the press for over a month now. Based on the book as well as his conversation with the prince, Maté reportedly felt he could guess at the clinical diagnoses Prince Harry would receive from a therapist. He believes the prince suffers from ADD, PTSD, anxiety and depression.
Prince Harry reportedly accepted these diagnoses without complaint and even noted that his personal therapist had diagnosed him with PTSD in the past. Prince Harry has also spoken at length about anxiety and depression, especially as they relate to military veterans. he did not disclose the treatments he had accepted for PTSD.
During the conversation, Prince Harry spoke about how psychiatric therapy has helped him over the years and how valuable he thinks the treatment would be for just about anyone. He said that he had encouraged his “family” to seek therapy as well – presumably meaning his brother Prince William, his father King Charles III and other members of the royal family. However, he said that he doesn’t believe any of them took his advice and even worried that the suggestion might have divided them even further.
Prince Harry’s book Spare is available now in print, digital and audiobook formats wherever books are sold. Maté’s book The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture is available in all formats as well.
