Princess of Wales urges compassion for those battling addiction.
Catherine highlighted fear, shame, and judgment in society’s addiction experience, urging open dialogues to address the issue.
The message is for Addiction Awareness Week, running from November 23 to November 30.
Kate supports the Forward Trust, a charity helping recovering addicts.
An IPSOS survey for the trust found that most adults have dealt with dependency themselves or know someone who has.
The royal emphasised that addiction is a mental health condition deserving empathy and support, yet stigma persists.
The stigma of addiction thrives in secrecy, affecting families, communities, and lives, with many knowing someone in its grip.
This is the time to express compassion and guide them to seek support from organisations like The Forward Trust.
Kate, who initiated the 2021 Addiction Awareness Week, highlighted the importance of starting with a caring conversation to make recovery possible.
‘So please join the conversation. By talking about it in the open, together we can bring addiction and the harm it causes out of the shadows.’
She added: ‘We can reframe this issue with kindness and understanding, and we can help individuals and families coping with addiction know they are not alone.’
Former England and Arsenal captain Tony Adams, now a recovered alcoholic and chairman at the Forward Trust, shared a video launching a film series.
He urged, ‘If you are struggling with an addiction or a mental health issue, then please reach out and get the appropriate help. The greatest thing I ever did was to say, “I can’t do this.”
The IPSOS survey is part of the campaign to address addiction stigma, launched by Kate in 2021.
In October, 53% of 2,124 people surveyed had addiction experience.
Among those who experienced addiction, around half felt uncomfortable discussing it with their employer, while fewer were comfortable talking to family, friends, their GP, or partner.
31% agreed addicts’ self-blame, but 41% disagreed.
The poll found 81 per cent of those surveyed agreed that those addicted or dependent on alcohol, drugs, medication or gambling should be treated as individuals who are struggling and need help.
Kate, while not betrayed by an addict, has seen similar destructive behaviour, possibly stemming from emotional addiction rather than substance abuse.
Kate appears to be an extremely pleasant lady, but if you’ve grown up with drunks, it can make that person less understanding than perhaps they should be.
Kate’s efforts are admirable, but understanding addiction’s depth requires experience; offering love, kindness, and compassion often can’t prevent despair.
Addiction poses a serious, chaotic, and defeating challenge despite our efforts.
Kate missed her mark on the campaign due to a lack of understanding, and talk is cheap, and it’s easy to preach compassion when you live in an ivory tower, and it’s very doubtful that she will ever be raped, robbed, assaulted or murdered by a drunken crackhead.
Here she is in her little bubble. She’s never going to be mugged by a junkie or endure the attentions of a drunk, yet she tells us how we should react. I wonder what we are going to do with her invaluable advice?
I wish the Royals would stop lecturing us.
She is absolutely clueless. Perhaps she should spend time with people who are addicts, and whose lives have been ruined by lies, stealing and threats. No amount of love will help an addict; they need to want to do it for themselves, and sometimes trying to protect them and support them is counterproductive. Aside from that, there just aren’t enough services available to meet the demand.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 