Meghan Markle Says There Is a Global Consciousness Crisis Regarding Mental Health – TownandCountrymag.com

Chris JacksonGetty Images

The Duchess of Sussex described a global consciousness crisis around mental health as she and Prince Harry met people working in this field on the second day of their royal tour in South Africa. Speaking with reporters near Cape Town during their visit to the organization Waves for Change, which uses surfing to help young people, the couple summed up thoughts on their trip so far.

When asked what was the most pressing global issue when it came to dealing with the stigma around mental health, Meghan replied, Its just getting people to talk about it and talk to each other, right?

And you see that no matter where you are in the world, if youre a small community or a township, if youre in a big cityits that everyone is dealing with a different version of the same thing, she continued.

Globally I think theres a bit of a consciousness crisis, and so the fact were able to be here together to see on the ground so much good work thats being done, just because people are willing to talk to each other about it and someones willing to listen is huge.

To Meghan, that communication is useful, regardless of your location.

That can apply to being here, certainly can apply to being in London, L.A.doesnt matter where you are were all sort of trying to power through and find some optimism.

For Prince Harry, differentiating between mental illness and mental health is also an important element of the conversation.

I think most of the stigma is around mental illness. We need to separate the twomental health which is every single one of us and mental illness which could be every single one of us, but I think they need to be separated, the mental health element touches on so much of what were exposed to, these experiences that these kids and every single one of us have been through," he said.

Everyone has experienced trauma or likely to experience trauma at some point during their lives. We need to try, not eradicate it, but to learn from previous generations so theres not a perpetual cycle. I think whats amazing here just in a day and halfbarelythe same conversations keep happening with all sorts of different people. So theyve been through it and we can learn so much from that.

When asked what it was like being back in Africa, and for Meghan, visiting South Africa for the first time, Harry said, Yesterday was great and to start in Nyanga was amazing.

I think everyone across the world now has probably heard about whats been happening more recentlythat kind of stuff happens all the time, every year, but it really peaked in the last month or so weve done our best to keep track of whats been going on, he said, likely referencing the increase in violence against women in the country.

This Africa tour was always going to be fantastic, been looking forward to Cape Townher first visit, I love this place. And again meeting the people, the energy, the fun, again the positivity, the optimism and the hope in the face of such incredible adversity.

Harry said people from the local community who had suffered traumatic experiences were working with Waves for Change, and were not only sharing their experiences but able to help the younger generation. The Duke added there was a whole generation of children with no role models at all, but now they were being given an opportunity.

Its amazing to think that just on the other side of here youve got tin huts with all these kids with nothing, and bringing them together a nice hot meal provided by Lunchbox Fund, and the sea of which theyve been terrified of most of their lives, Harry said.

Now they can swim, they can surf.

Link:

Meghan Markle Says There Is a Global Consciousness Crisis Regarding Mental Health - TownandCountrymag.com