‘Dementia link to sudden low blood pressure and dizziness’
October 13, 2024
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were visibly moved on Saturday after hearing the traumatic stories of young people battling with depression.
In a visit to mark World Mental Health Day Prince William and his wife were told by youngsters how they had battled back from depression to help others cope with the same problems.
One of them, 19-year-old Vithuja Balasingham, told the royal couple she had been diagnosed with depression at the age of 12.
She said: “Since then I’ve been sectioned and hospitalised. I’ve hit the worst of the worst where life no longer felt a viable option. At home, my family didn’t understand, I had a perfect life so why was I so miserable. I’ve had peers calling me an attention seeker, messages on formspring [social media site] telling me to kill myself, nurses referring to me as the sectioned girl.”
The student, who now volunteers with the Time to Change initiative to campaign against the stigma associated with mental health problems, added: “I’m here today to celebrate how far we’ve come but to remind people that it is okay to talk without being afraid or ashamed.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to Harrow College, in north-west London, organised by the mental health charity Mind, was their first joint engagement in support of mental health issues.
After being asked why he became a volunteer 18-year-old Nikki Mattocks told Prince William: “For me it is because, for years – I have experience of hearing voices – and I never really felt there was a positive role model out there.
“When I said that I was hearing voices, I was told that I must be a murderer. For me it is really important for people to know that we are just normal, average people.”
He said: “I know it’s not easy for you re-living your experiences again and again. If we can get more young people talking, and coming through with their experiences, then we can really get mental health to the fore, which is where it should be and what we need to do.”
Catherine told the group: “I keep thinking about what else we can do and how we can raise awareness. Keep the ideas coming. Talking about mental health is so important.”
The Cambridges also heard from Emma Peacock, 19, who was eight when she was misdiagnosed with ADHD. She actually suffers from bi-polar, a diagnosis that didn’t come until she was 16.
She said: “I made the mistake of telling my friends first. That was not a good idea. Because they didn’t understand, they stigmatised it and I was excluded.”
In a touching exchange the Duchess asked Emma if she’d found it hard to tell her mother, Nadine, who was also at the event, adding: “I always find you never want to worry your family about anything.”
Emma replied: “I was so scared my family would worry, you always want to protect your family so I found it really hard.”
The Duchess went on to ask the group whether their schools had been willing to listen to their problems and help them cope with mental health issues. They appeared shocked when Emma told them her school “wouldn’t let me back in because they were worried about contagion, and my grades not being good enough”.
Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Each year, Mind in Harrow helps over 7,000 local people with assistance from over 100 volunteers.
Paul Farmer, Mind’s Chief Executive said: “By putting a spotlight on mental health, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are helping us to send an important and urgent message to the world that it is time to change our attitudes about mental health problems.”
Source The Telegraph