By Staff WriterOriginal Source: soberinfo.comChildren dream of being princes and princesses. For Britain’s Prince Harry, though, the ride has been anything but idyllic. The son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was already a fixture in the international spotlight. His mother’s death, which made international news in 1997, focused the world’s attention on Harry and his brother William, who were then 12 and 15 years old.According to Harry, his response was to shut down emotionally for the intervening two decades. Only recently has he begun to seek therapy, as his long-repressed emotions began to erupt into what he described at “two years of total chaos.” Dealing with crippling anxiety at official functions and anger that left him feeling like he was “on the verge of punching someone,” the troubled prince finally turned to counseling (and boxing) at the age of 28.Now 32, the royal is opening up about his troubles in the hope that he can de-stigmatize mental health issues. In November 2017, he attended the Virgin Giving Money Mind Media Awards, where he pointed out that he felt Britain was “ready for a different kind of conversation on mental health.”The Prince seems to be in a much better place these days. Networks have been fawning over the recent news of his engagement to actress Meghan Markle; it seems Harry has even given up smoking for his soon-to-be bride.It may have been easier, now that he’s in a better place emotionally and mentally. There’s a well-known link between depression and addictive behaviors. In fact, 32% of patients with a mood disorder are diagnosed with a co-occurring substance abuse disorder. We can hope that Prince Harry’s push to open up communication on mental health issues has a corresponding effect on minimizing substance abuse in Britain.