Princess Kate has shared a message of support for people living with addiction in a new video for The Forward Trust’s “Taking Action on Addiction” campaign.
The campaign launched today as part of Addiction Awareness Week.
Princess Kate says that addiction is “a serious mental health condition that can happen to anyone, no matter what age, gender, race or nationality”.
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The clip was recorded at Kensington Palace where Kate sits down in a room decorated with photographs of her family.
She emphasises that attitudes to addiction are changing but there is still a way to go.
“Attitudes to addiction are changing. But we are not there yet, and we need to be. Still, the shame of addiction is stopping people and families asking for help and people are still tragically losing their lives,” she says.
“We as a society need to recognise that the only way to help those suffering is to try and understand what has led them to addiction, to empathise with them and to be compassionate to their struggles,” she continues.
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The video also includes images of Kate meeting with members of the Forward Trust.
The Taking Action on Addiction campaign runs during Addiction Awareness Week, from October 30 to November 7. The aim of the initiative is to reframe existing perceptions of addiction and enable people to ask and receive help.
Princess Kate is a patron of The Forward Trust and has been since the charity merged with Action on Addiction in June 2021.
“Please know that addiction is not a choice. No one chooses to become an addict. I want you to know that this is also a serious health condition. Please do not let shame hold you back from getting the help you so desperately need.”
Princess Kate gave the keynote speech in 2021 of the Taking Action on Addiction campaign.
“Addiction is not a choice, no one chooses to become an addict. But it can happen to any one of us. None of us are immune,” she said in the speach.
“Yet it’s all too rarely discussed as a serious mental health condition. And seldom do we take the time to uncover and fully understand its fundamental root causes.”
