Royals

James Middleton opens up about who was there for him during his struggles with depression

''I've been in that angst of loneliness, where you're really alone in the universe...''
James Middleton

Earlier this year the Duchess of Cambridge’s youngest sibling, James Middleton, opened up about his personal struggle with mental health issues and dyslexia and in an Instagram post today, he has now shed some light on what (or more specifically who) has helped him during some of those dark times.

Captioned in a photo on the youngest Middleton’s now public Instagram account, he wrote, “I’ve been in that angst of loneliness, where you’re really alone in the universe. Luckily for me I had my dogs 🐾🐾.”

James, who owns five pups, previously opened up about how they have positively impacted his mental health in his article written for the Daily Mail back in January.

“I recognise, too, the role my dogs — Ella, Inca, Luna, Zulu and Mabel — have played in my recovery.

“Ella, particularly, has been my constant companion for ten years and she’s been with me to all my therapy sessions. In her own particular way, she has kept me going.

“As a result, Ella and I now volunteer with the Pets As Therapy charity and Ella is a fully-fledged therapy dog for PAT.”

James with his sister Catherine in 2007. (Image: Getty)

The 31-year-old explained that he felt compelled to talk about his struggles openly because it was precisely what his brother-in-law Prince William and sister Catherine were advocating through their mental health charity, Heads Together – to tackle the stigma surrounding mental illness.

“They believe we can only tackle the stigma associated with mental illness if we have the courage to change the national conversation, to expel its negative associations,” James wrote.

“So it wouldn’t be honest to suppress my story. I want to speak out, and they are my motivation for doing so.”

WATCH: The Royals’ incredible mental health initiative. Story continues below…

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James, whose secret Instagram account is dominated with footage of his five adorable dogs, has also shared a heartfelt tribute to his dogs on the second anniversary of his first dog’s death in February this year.

“Dogs die. But dogs live, too. Right up until they die, they live. They live brave, beautiful lives. They love us, protect us and make our lives a little brighter. And they don’t waste time being afraid of tomorrow,” he penned.

Of course James has always had the support of his parents, Carole and Michael Middleton as well as his older sisters Duchess Catherine and Pippa Matthews who “desperately worried” about him for months when he was in the depths of depression.

“My family were proactive in helping me enormously — it has been an education for all of us to understand the complex nature of depression.”

If you are struggling with depression, these websites may help:

Depression.org.nz

Lifeline Aotearoa – or call Lifeline on 0800 543 354.

Mentalhealth.org.nz

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