Prince Harry, known as a royal “bad-boy” who lives more by instinct than decree, surprised much of the world by pronouncing his need for therapy. The emotion of his mother’s death when he was only 12 finally caught up with him in his 20’s. Even the proverbial stiff upper lip, especially associated with royalty and the Brits in general, eventually succumbed to the reality of emotions peppered with tragedy.

There are threads of shame, and guilt associated with anyone “needing” mental health, as well as a chink in the armor of pride and self-reliance.  Many feel they may not be able to fix a broken a leg, but emotional pain seems to fall under the heading of “I can take care of it myself.” Unless there’s visible blood and body parts dismembered, society has fostered a disdain for leaning on the medical establishment for anything less.  A weak character is impugned especially when needing help to find one’s emotional equilibrium. Apparently this is the case even if one’s mother is Lady Di, whose death left a ton of questions unanswered.

Prince Harry, after consulting with his older brother William, finally sought the help he needed when he was in his late 20’s. Although therapy is never quite the panacea, it still helps us get back on track. And for those who insist on personal responsibility, much of therapy relies on the client to stitch his or her life back together again.

Yet the stigma (or ignorance) of mental health festers in society to the point where U.S. legislators deny its need to serve the public. New Republican versions of health care deliberately defund mental health needs as though it were inconsequential to the welfare and overall health of a person. Strength of character seems the rationale to discard mental health coverage. It’s mostly wimpy liberals who seek counseling anyway, or so the rumor has it. Mental health is viewed as an un-American activity. America is built on the shoulders of strong men and women.

The denial of mental health coverage in some new iteration of health care will prove detrimental to the public. The political right refuses to acknowledge that a broken spirit can be more devastating than a broken leg. Depression can be more debilitating than the flu.

Prince Harry broke with a tradition that tends to minimize mental health needs. Even royalty, as pampered as they might be, still suffer the ravages of emotional trauma. It’s part of being human, regardless in which station in life we find ourselves. We can pretend to resume business as usual after devastating life experiences, but the pain will always find us eventually. We owe Harry an enormous debt of gratitude. It’s not easy to expose oneself so publicly, but he put mental health back on the table for us all to reconsider. Let’s hope Congress has enough presence of mind to listen. TRG