Meghan Markle has opened up about her mental health struggles on her podcast and revealed that it was her husband Prince Harry who found help for her.
Speaking on the latest episode of her podcast Archetypes, Meghan sat down with Deepika Padukone, Jenny Slate and Constance Wu to discuss how the word crazy is used to "diminish women's credibility". Deepika, who is one of the highest paid actresses in India, often speaks candidly about her mental health and revealed that everyday she tries to "ensure that I don't go back into that dark place again", writes the Mirror.
During the conversation, Meghan praised the actress for being able to get the support she needed before recalling the moment that Harry found her help when she was in a "dire state". She said: "You found the courage to get the help that you needed and to get the help that works for you.
"I think at my worst point being finally connected to someone that you know, my husband had found a referral for me to call and I called this woman, she didn't know, I was even calling her what and she was checking out at the grocery store.
"I could hear the little beep, and I said, hi and I'm introducing myself and like, I could hear her going 'sorry who is this?'. And saying I need help, she could hear the dire state that I was in. But I think it's for all of us to be really honest about what it is that you need and to not be afraid to make peace with that to ask for it."
It's not the first time Meghan has opened up about her mental health struggles. Last year during her and Prince Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan revealed she had experienced suicidal thoughts when pregnant with son Archie.
She told the chat show host she "didn't want to be alive anymore" and when asked directly if she was thinking of self-harm and having suicidal thoughts at some stage, Meghan replied "yes". She says Harry "cradled her" when she told him, and he later admitted it sent him to a "dark place".
Meghan also claimed that she was denied help from the Royal Family during her struggle, with Harry saying he "didn't have anyone to turn to". The new episode of the podcast also starts with a trigger warning with Meghan advising anyone to "tune out" if they find the content "too heavy", before speaking about she herself had been labelled "crazy" and "hysterical".
She added: "I feel pretty strongly about this word, this label crazy, the way that it's thrown around so casually and the damage it's wrought on society and women, frankly everywhere.
"From relationships to families being shattered, reputations destroyed and careers ruined, the stigma surrounding the word - it also has a silencing effect. This effect with women experiencing real mental health issues, they get scared, they stay quiet, they internalise, and they repress for far too long."
Meghan and Harry signed a lucrative deal with the audio streaming giant Spotify to host and produce podcasts, estimated to be worth around £18 million, in late 2020. Archetypes was launched with the aim of investigating "labels that try to hold women back" through conversations between Meghan and historians, experts and women who have experienced being typecast.
You can get help with your mental health and speak to someone through the charity Mind. Click here for more details.
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