Meghan Markle speaks about suicidal thoughts at awards gala: ‘I don’t want anyone to feel alone’

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Meghan Markle accepted the Ripple of Hope Award in New York on Tuesday evening, where she reportedly spoke about her decision to reveal she was struggling with suicidal thoughts during her time as a senior member of the royal family.

During an on-stage interview with host Kerry Kennedy at the 2022 Robert F Kennedy Human Rights award gala, Prince Harry said it was important to speak up about mental health issues because “we live in this world now where sharing experiences and sharing stories has an enormous impact,” according to Page Six.

When Meghan Markle was asked her reason for revealing she contemplated suicide during her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the outlet reported that the duchess responded, “I don’t want anyone to feel alone.”

Meghan revealed that she felt “ashamed” to “admit” her mental health battle to her husband, but knew that she “just didn’t want to be alive anymore” at the time. However, the duchess noted that speaking up about her experience gives others the “space and the courage” to do the same.

“And when you’ve been through anything that’s challenging, and everyone, especially in the past few years with lockdown and Covid, that spike in numbers of people having an experience they might not be voicing,” she said on-stage at the gala, per Daily Mail. “We all need to, when we can, if we feel brave enough, to just speak honestly about your own experience.”

The 41-year-old mother of two continued: “It gives other people space and the courage to do the same, but more than that to really feel like you’re not alone, because I think that is often what can be the largest hindrance when you feel that way, you don’t see a way out.”

In March 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan sat down with TV host Oprah Winfrey during a tell-all conversation. The couple shared several shocking revelations with Winfrey about their time inside the royal family – including that she struggled with suicidal thoughts while pregnant with her first child, Archie, and the palace staff ignored her pleas for help.

“Look, I was really ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, because I know how much loss he has suffered, but I knew that if I didn’t say it, then I would do it. I just didn’t want to be alive anymore,” she told the crowd at the New York gala.

Meghan ultimately decided that her story could help others struggling with similar mental health issues, which is why she spoke out about her experience.

“But ultimately, if you feel like there’s someone else that has a lived experience. they’ve gotten to the other side, and gave example of resilience, an example of ‘there is a happy ending’, I think that’s what most people are probably seeking out in those moments,” she said. “And that’s why I made the decision to just say, ‘If my experience can help someone else not feel the same way or to know that there’s hope, then it’s worth every second of whatever comes with it.’”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex accepted the racial justice award at the 2022 Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope awards gala, where they were honoured for their work to “protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights”.

The awards are given to those who have “demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights,” according to the website, which adds, “At the helm of major corporations, this year’s laureates have prioritised equity, inclusivity, and sustainability in the workplace and the world”.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s attendance at the event came just days before the release of the first three episodes of their highly anticipated Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, on 8 December.

If you are have thoughts of self-harm, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).