When Harry met Bryony: Lessons in Grief, Loss and the Human Condition
Denise Britton, Psychologist and Co-founder of Brisbane Mediations explains how Prince Harry's interview with Telegraph Journalist Bryony Gordon, in which he discusses the mental health issues he faced following the death of his mother, goes some way towards normalising feelings of grief and loss for others.
People the world over love to love Prince Harry! He’s a swashbuckling royal, sporty, a larrikin, has mixed it with his fellow soldiers in a real theatre of war, devotes time to charity, is adored by the ladies and likes to have a good time.
Now that he has spoken out about his mental health struggles after losing his beloved mother, Diana, we love him all the more. What a great thing it is when someone famous – especially someone like Harry – opens up about his own human experiences and normalises these for the rest of us.
Grief and loss are as inevitable for humans as are night and day (unless you live at one of the poles of course).
“The human condition” ensures that every good thing (also, fortunately, every bad thing) must come to an end. For instance, every relationship will, one way or the other, eventually end. Just as we can enjoy experiences, feel loved, feel lucky and be happy the flip side is that we can experience despair, dread, abandonment, loneliness and unhappiness.
In the context of bereavement, rejection or loss, we call these negative emotions GRIEF.
Grief is a normal part of life, but if it is not acknowledged, faced and expressed, it has the potential to cause severe psychological harm. Psychologists spend much of their professional time assisting people who have not addressed grief and loss to become “unstuck” and to move on from the effects of abnormal grief reactions.
It is impossible to estimate the enormous value of Prince Harry’s frank disclosure to the world of the demons which, for him as a young boy dealing with the loss of his mother, were too daunting to face. We now know that they pushed him to the edge of sanity as he tried desperately to ignore and deny them.
There is so much professional help available these days for people experiencing the often unbearable pain of grief and loss. You don’t need to suffer alone. I hope that Harry’s courage helps to illuminate the way for those who think that seeking help is a sign of weakness. On the contrary, taking that first step is not easy and is a sign of strength.
Denise Britton, Brisbane Mediations
With her lengthly career as a Psychologist and Social Worker, and her experience in dealing with troubled people from all walks of life, Denise Britton provides mediation and counselling services at Brisbane Mediations.
You can listen to the full Prince Harry/Bryony Gordon interview here.