06 March 2023 , 18:56
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Prince Harry has been slammed by a psychiatrist as "irresponsible" for proclaiming the benefits of illegal drugs such as marijuana and hallucinogens.
Speaking to trauma expert Dr Gabor Maté in a live Q&A, the Duke of Sussex said marijuana "actually did really help me".
Moving on to talk about hallucinogens, especially ayahuasca, the Prince said: "I started doing it recreationally and then started to realise how good it was for me.
"I would say it is one of the fundamental parts of my life that changed me and helped me deal with the traumas and pains of the past."
Dr Max Pemberton, an NHS psychiatrist, accused the outspoken Prince of "wading into the debate on mental health with reckless ignorance".
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The doctor slammed Harry for having "no understanding" of the "serious damage" these substances can cause.
Dr Max Pemberton slammed the Prince (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)He told the Daily Mail that the Duke of Sussex is an example of what medical researchers term "N=1", meaning his observations of the effects of the drug are based solely on his own experience.
Marijuana has been found to increase the risk of schizophrenia or psychosis, with regular use associated with changes in behaviour and withdrawal.
Dr Pemberton added that Harry has "forfeited any right he might have had to be seen as a credible representative for mental health charities" as he explained the possible negative impacts of ayahuasca.
The drug, often promoted by the "trendy middle classes", can cause panic attacks and paranoia, as well as physical side effects like vomiting and diarrhoea.
The Q&A was in part to promote Harry's book Spare (Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)Dr Pemberton added: "As for his enthusiasm for ayahuasca, a mind-altering drink made from plants found in the Amazon rainforest including the Psychotria viridis shrub, I am almost speechless at the stupidity of his endorsement.
"Any qualified psychiatrist who promoted this drug as a panacea for all would probably deserve to be struck off."
Speaking about cocaine, Prince Harry told Dr Gabor Maté: "That didn't do anything for me. It was more of a social thing."
He added: "It gave me a sense of belonging for sure.
"It also made me feel different to the way I was feeling, which is kind of the point."
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He also claimed he experienced a lot of peer pressure to drink alcohol.
Prince Harry also opened up in the Q&A about how wife Meghan helped him (Netflix)The Prince told Dr Maté: "I was at a dinner party and people would all be drinking and I wasn't the one drinking. I would feel left out of the conversation, to the point where it was like 'if you're not going to have a drink, leave.' So I was like 'Okay I'll leave'.
"I started to realise 'Wow is this the way the world is'.
"Where if, for whatever reason, you don't drink or you don't want to have a drink that night, then there seems to be this group peer pressure."
He added: "It was the cleaning of the windscreen, cleaning of the windshield, the removal of life's filters just as much as on Instagram, these layers of filters.
"It removed it all for me and brought me a sense of relaxation, release, comfort, a lightness that I managed to hold on to for a period of time.
"I started doing it recreationally and then started to realise how good it was for me, I would say it is one of the fundamental parts of my life that changed me and helped me deal with the traumas and pains of the past."