The adrenaline crash
Prince Harry is getting real about the toll of his past lifestyle. In a new, paid-for masterclass focused on dealing with grief, the Duke of Sussex shared that he experienced a period of depression after moving to Canada in 2019. He described it as a two-week "adrenaline crash" that hit him just days after leaving the high-stress environment he was used to. It's giving major burnout vibes—he explained that he felt "useless around the house" because his brain had essentially become addicted to the adrenaline required to function during his royal duties.
Processing the past
Real talk: Harry didn't hold back on how he handled the loss of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, when he was just 12. He admitted to feeling "emotionally numb" for nearly two decades, feeling like he had to stay sad to prove how much he missed her. He even tried to outrun his feelings by serving in the Army in Afghanistan twice in his 20s, but said, "that's not what happened."
He credited a therapist for helping him break through that numbness. He revealed that using his mother’s perfume as a grounding tool helped him realize that "she just wanted me to be happy." University of Arizona neuroscientist Mary-Frances O'Connor, who also appeared in the masterclass, added some context, noting that the brain often registers lost loved ones as simply "missing" rather than gone, which explains why grief can linger in such complex ways.
A new chapter
This insight into Harry's mental health comes shortly after the news that he, Meghan, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have returned to the UK after six years in the U.S. They are reportedly living in the Cotswolds, and Harry shared that he now keeps a strict rule to never be away from his family for more than 10 days.
Why it matters
It’s lowkey powerful to see public figures like Harry open up about the mechanics of grief. By talking openly about the physical symptoms of trauma and the difficulty of healing, he’s helping destigmatize the conversation around mental health, proving that even with main character energy, everyone is just trying to figure out how to process their emotions.
