Prince Harry has once again embarked on the mental health debate with reckless ignorance, ignoring the facts and the devastating impact his words can have.
He has spoken out about his use of drugs, which are illegal in the country, and has claimed profits from hallucinogens such as cannabis and ayahuasca. It’s so irresponsible.
Harry clearly has no idea of the serious harm these substances can do to their users. The damage I see in mental health wards is upsetting.
If he was some other celebrity, we would have no problem ignoring him. But this is a man who has used the platform as a member of the royal family and established himself as a serious supporter of mental health policies.
No one ever asked him to do this. He adopted this course of action for his own reasons – and he does not regret his own choices regarding drug use, so he seems to think these should be good for everyone. .
The truth is that his life experience is so limited and limited by wealth, fame and privilege that he cannot fathom what disastrous effects drugs can have on people in different situations. .
Objectively speaking, from a distance, he doesn’t look like a great advertisement for marijuana, cocaine, etc. to me.
He doesn’t seem particularly happy or stable. Looking at the recent consequences of his life, he appears to have left his home country, severed ties with his family, distanced himself from his hometown friends, and no longer has a career in the military. .
That doesn’t sound like a strong endorsement of self-medication with mind-altering substances.
At best, he can consider himself very lucky if drug use hasn’t exacerbated his mental health problems.
He plays Russian roulette with his brain, and if he can get away with it, he’s a lucky guy.
Harry is an example of what medical researchers call “N=1.” This is a clever way of saying that his experience is entirely anecdotal. The number (or “N”) of people involved in his non-scientific research is one of him: himself.
This is the least relevant and most misleading type of evidence. And that contradicts what I have always experienced as her NHS psychiatrist.
How many times did Harry have to enlist the police, nurses and social workers to hold a psychotic cannabis user under the Mental Health Act, as I did a few days ago? The man urgently needed to be separated for his own safety and that of the neighbors who lived in fear of him.
Of course, not everyone who smokes dope becomes psychotic. But it’s a significant known risk, something Harry didn’t even mention during a conversation with ‘trauma therapist’ Gabor Mate over the weekend, and a ticket to the livestreamed event costs £19 (the price of Harry ).
A Royal Psychiatric Society study found that regular marijuana use doubled the risk of experiencing schizophrenia and psychotic episodes, and these risks were more pronounced in younger users.
Harry also did not highlight evidence that long-term cannabis use is associated with personality and behavioral changes, particularly social withdrawal and what psychiatrists call “lack of self-motivation.”
Numerous studies have linked the drug to school and college dropouts, lower incomes, increased reliance on benefits, unemployment, dissatisfaction with life, and even increased suicidal tendencies.
As for his enthusiasm for ayahuasca, a mind-altering drink made from plants found in the Amazon rainforest, including the Psychotria viridis shrub, I’m almost speechless at the stupidity of his endorsements.
The competent psychiatrist who touted this drug as a panacea for everyone probably deserves to be fired. I have lost all rights.
Ayahuasca causes paranoia and panic attacks, and aside from unpleasant physical side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea, ayahuasca can cause lasting mental damage. It’s a complete and complete embarrassment.
The kindest interpretation of his comment is that he was fascinated by the fashionableness of drugs popular among the trendy middle class.
He promotes yet another quack therapy. His empty, self-satisfied waffles only show what kind of sheltered life he leads.
He imagines himself to be the spokesperson for his generation, casually stating that 99.9% of people “have some form of grief, trauma or loss.”
It’s true that 99.9% of people didn’t grow up in a palace.
Prince Harry must realize that his experience is completely insulated from the reality of others. His selfish words can do immeasurable harm to those in his life he never understands.