logo

Kate Middleton's Brother James Revealed How Public Attention to His Family Affected His Depression

Olowokandi Fiyin
Jun 25, 2019
07:22 P.M.

James Middleton is finally back to his old self after a long battle with clinical depression and anxiety. He says he is excited about life again.

Advertisement

The entrepreneur, who is the brother to Duchess Kate and Pippa Middleton, was catapulted into the public eye when his eldest sister, Kate Middleton, married Prince William, and thus marking his sudden rise to fame at age 23.

Advertisement

Following his rise into the public eye, his transition into celebrity status was more than challenging for him, as the business, he was establishing, Boomf came under public scrutiny and scorn. And this made him question his sense of self and his abilities.

"Suddenly, and very publicly, I was being judged about whether I was a success or a failure. That does put pressure on you. Because in my mind I'm doing this irrespective of my family and events that have happened," he said.

Advertisement

James, who has had dyslexia since he was a child, and was also diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), insists that there was no particular reason he developed depression. He added by saying,

"I had all the things I wanted. It's not that I wanted more, but there was something that wasn't always there... And the more I ignored it, the more it was taking over."

Advertisement

James knows he is blessed to have had a charmed and privileged upbringing, but it doesn't give him immunity against depression. Speaking to Daily Mail, he recounted this by saying,

"I know I'm richly blessed and live a privileged life. But it did not make me immune to depression. It is tricky to describe the condition. It is not merely sadness. It is an illness, a cancer of the mind," He said.

Advertisement

James Middleton was hit with a deep clinical depression at the end of 2016, which caused his mental health to deteriorate for a year. His parents, Carole and Mike Middleton, knew something was wrong, but he didn't want them anywhere near him.

"I shut myself off, I didn't communicate with my family at all. But there's only so long you can hold your breath," he said.

Advertisement

He finally reached out for help in late 2017, after he had to call the doctor from his car, outside work, feeling unable to get out. He added that,

"'The doctor said, 'James, are you okay?' And I said, 'No, I'm not.'"

Within an hour, he had been referred to a specialist.

Advertisement

James admits that his decision to speak out about his health battles was influenced by his sister and brother-in-law's passion for the mental health crisis and their charity Heads Together.

On a firmer path to recovery, James took a step back from running his marshmallow business Boomf. He commenced attending therapy sessions and taking soul-searching breaks at Glen Affric, the Scottish estate owned by his brother-in-law, James Matthews' family.

The businessman, who has credited his dogs, Ella, Luna, Zulu and Mabel in his recovery, is happily dating French-born Alizee Thevenet, and has this to say:

"I am happy – I feel like James Middleton again. I feel like I was when I was 13, excited about life. I feel like myself again, and I couldn't ask for more"

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

Rich Inventor Abandons Devoted Wife Who Saves Him from a Thief Later — Story of the Day

March 02, 2022

Sons Learn Their Old Mom Gave Her $3.7M Mansion to Young Man Who Isn’t Her Child — Story of the Day

February 18, 2022

Homeless Man Who Left His Sister 38 Years Ago Returns to Her with an Old Box from Their Father – Story of the Day

April 07, 2022

Tika Sumpter Weds Co-star Husband after She 'Tamed His Ego' & Hid Her Pregnancy for 7 Months

May 18, 2022

Colin Farrell Was Told Son James Padraig May Never Walk – He Gave up Drugs to Fight for Him

February 07, 2023

Prince William Does Not Want More Kids After Fathering 3 Even Though Kate Middleton Is ‘Broody’

March 05, 2022

Court Lawyer Hears Little Daughter Mock Boy Whose Dad Works as a Parking Attendant at a Mall – Story of the Day

April 14, 2022

Boy Loves His Half-Brother More than Parents, One Day Parents Find They Disappeared – Story of the Day

April 17, 2022

Kate Middleton Became a Royal 11 Years Ago Though the Queen Had ‘Concerns’ About Her When William Proposed

May 08, 2022

Young Man Who Never Knew His Parents Pushes Father Away, Learns about His Will Months Later – Story of the Day

March 10, 2022

Poor Mom Lives in Old Trailer with Son and Never Lets Anyone in until She Gets Hospitalized — Story of the Day

February 09, 2022

Twins Send Dad to Nursing Home, Learn He Left Inheritance to Janitor Who Is Their Carbon Copy – Story of the Day

February 13, 2022

For 10 Years Old Man Sits on a Chair by the Sea Daily, One Day Two Boys See the Chair Empty – Story of the Day

February 17, 2022

While Fiancé Lies in Coma, Woman Gets Close to His Brother, a Month Later Her Fiancé Wakes Up — Story of the Day

May 21, 2022