Since his adolescence, he has lived under the eye of the cameras because of his sister. James Middleton, younger brother of Prince William’s wife, has never hidden that he had trouble with the excessive media coverage of his family. Tired of this constant attention, he had even honestly explained a few years ago that he suffered from severe depression and attention disorders.
Concerns that he gradually resolves, in particular thanks to family therapy conducted several months ago in the presence of his parents, Carol and Michael, but also of his big sisters, Pippa and Kate. “It was so important“, he told the newspaper recently. The Telegraph. “Because it helped me understand myself and now I know how my brain works. And I think the therapy helped me because my family stopped asking me what they could do for me. They knew they would understand by attending my therapy sessions“.
His special solution to overcome depression
But today, he found other techniques to get better, including… animals! With his wife, the French Alizée Thévenet whom he married in 2021, they have six dogs which he takes care of a lot. “You can entrust your emotions, even the darkest ones, to your dog and trust them, they won’t tell anyone. To put words on emotions, even if we entrust them to dogs, it’s a real relief“, he explained to Hello!on the occasion of Mental Health Week.
And with his dogs, he likes nothing more than to get some fresh air. “I am a big fan of the outdoors, whether in the city or in the countryside. Thinking about yourself, taking a moment, it’s sometimes difficult but it’s so important. Going out, walking, a change of air, it airs out the brain“, he argues. I also like to take my 6 dogs for walks. It’s also really cute when people are interested in my dogs. They stop and ask me if they can pet them. And before we know it, we’re talking“, he concludes, happy to be a normal man again, far from all the photographers.
And he encourages his compatriots to do the same, to get involved with animals to get better: “If you don’t have dogs, maybe you can get involved with a local shelter. Most of them need volunteers for the dogs, even to sponsor them before they find a permanent family“. A great cause and we hope it helps him finally get out of it!