Meghan Markle’s discussion with Oprah Winfrey has been a hot topic this past week, and I wanted to share my thoughts on this meaningful matter.
Here’s what I think, in one sentence:
It was very brave of her to open up about her suicidal thoughts and this will help people.
Some Quick Backstory
Sharing here simply to provide context as to why I found Meghan’s openness so brave and beautiful – I’ve had my own fair share of mental health challenges. When I was seventeen years old, I came incredibly close to committing suicide, with the rope in my hands.
Mental health is a major global crisis, with nearly one million people dying by suicide each year…an absolutely unthinkable number. Especially with the challenges of the troubling coronavirus situation, now more than ever we need people like Meghan stepping up to the plate, being a transparent leader, and sharing their challenges in a vulnerable way.
Mental Health Needs to Be Brought Into the Light
For decades on end, people have been sweeping mental health challenges under the rug as if they’re no big deal. Meanwhile, people are attempting and committing suicide left and right.
I understand that it’s a difficult topic for some people, but in order for the suicide pandemic to get better and for suicidal people to make a different, more life-affirming choice, we need to talk about it. That’s not my opinion – the research shows that being open about it makes it easier for people to seek the help they so desperately need, as opposed to suffering in silence and taking their own lives in quiet desperation.
The world needs more people like Meghan to openly share their mental health challenges, helping people to realize that it’s OK to talk about this.
Meghan Markle Getting Criticism From Others, Like Piers Morgan
First off, it’s important to realize that many people will criticize you no matter what you do. It’s their default reaction and they don’t know how to be any other way. Second of all, in my opinion, much of the criticism of Meghan is unfounded.
Let’s take, for example, Piers Morgan – someone I’ve never had a problem with. Piers openly says that he doesn’t believe Meghan about suicidal. I’m sharing this not to single out Piers, but rather to touch a deeper ongoing challenge in the mental health space.
I’m sorry, Piers, but that’s ridiculous. Having openly shared my suicidal moments with the world, I can tell you that it’s not something you just make up. People judged and criticized me for my honesty, just like some people are judging and criticizing Meghan. If Meghan shared this, which she did, we can safely assume that she was seriously struggling. As she shared directly with Oprah, it’s a very real feeling of not wanting to be alive.
No, I don’t know Meghan personally. But I relate to her suicidal moments and I very much admire her bravery in sharing this with so many people.
The people who aren’t open about their suicidal moments often end up taking their own lives.
Piers is right about one thing: we all have free speech and we’re all entitled to our own opinions. But that doesn’t mean we have to agree with what Piers is saying here.
Even though I disagree with him, I’m not trying to cause anyone to dislike Piers – instead, I wanted to touch on a deeper societal pattern here. The truth is, people are very quick to dismiss mental health challenges by sweeping them under the rug, not paying attention to them, and not taking them seriously. Yes, it’s because it’s an uncomfortable topic for some, but it’s also because a lot of people simply don’t realize how serious mental health really is.
Avicii: A Poignant Example
Case in point: Avicii, the world-famous DJ who took his own life in 2018. Avicii’s manager, Arash Pournouri, admitted that he knew of Bergling’s mental health challenges but decided to not take them seriously. He didn’t even think of Avicii’s anxiety as a mental health concern.
Mental health is a very real and serious thing, and as I said earlier it’s a global crisis. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s a global pandemic – just as much as the coronavirus is.
I don’t believe that people are inherently evil. Yes, there are some really bad people out there, but that’s not most people. People are, at their core, loving. For some, they simply haven’t been educated on the scope and depth of this global mental health crisis – once properly informed as to its magnitude, I truly believe more would care.
Meghan Markle, at the End of the Day, Is Brave
The truth is that Meghan Markle is brave for being so real and open about her mental health struggles – just like her husband Prince Harry is brave for opening up about his mental health challenges as well.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s keep talking about mental health and suicide prevention. Let’s save lives.
Two Final Notes
- I didn’t mention the reason why Meghan Markle became suicidal on purpose – if you’re interested, you can easily find that on YouTube or elsewhere on the internet. My goal here isn’t to start a debate about whether the British royal family is good or bad. My goal here is to keep the conversation going about mental health, due to Meghan’s courage.
- Meghan’s heartfelt conversation with Oprah (along with her husband Prince Harry being there for part of the conversation) brought up another crucial issue: race. I focused in this post on the mental health side of things. With that said, race is also something that needs to be brought into the light. I completely and wholeheartedly support the powerful Black Lives Matter movement and we need to keep the conversation going on this, too.
Jeff Davis is an award-winning author, most recently publishing The Power of Authentic Leadership: Activating the 13 Keys to Achieving Prosperity Through Authenticity. He’s also an authentic leadership keynote speaker and Executive Coach to leaders and CEOs, offering individualized coaching. Follow him on Twitter.
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