http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/diana/panorama.html
Found a transcript of a BBC interview with Princess Diana in 1995, and realised it needs to be shared. The whole thing is very interesting, to be honest- I think I'd describe her as one of my inspirations. However, I've pasted the bit I found most comforting; she really 'hits the nail on the head' with her comments about self-harm and bulimia. It's a reminder that this isn't a small, exclusive problem: it can affect all sorts of people, for all sorts of reasons.
I've highlighted a few sections that struck me most, and though particularly about self-harm/bulimia, could be used to better understand all sorts of similar issues.
BASHIR: According to press reports, it was suggested that it was around this time things became
so difficult that you actually tried to injure yourself.
DIANA: Mmm. When no one listens to you, or you feel no one's listening to you, all sorts of things start
to happen.
For instance you have so much pain inside yourself that you try and hurt yourself on the outside
because you want help, but it's the wrong help you're asking for. People see it as crying wolf or
attention-seeking, and they think because you're in the media all the time you've got enough attention,
inverted commas.
But I was actually crying out because I wanted to get better in order to go forward and continue my duty
and my role as wife, mother, Princess of Wales.
So yes, I did inflict upon myself. I didn't like myself, I was ashamed because I couldn't cope with the
pressures.
BASHIR: What did you actually do?
DIANA: Well, I just hurt my arms and my legs; and I work in environments now where I see women
doing similar things and I'm able to understand completely where they're coming from.
BASHIR: What was your husband's reaction to this, when you began to injure yourself in this way?
DIANA: Well, I didn't actually always do it in front of him. But obviously anyone who loves someone
would be very concerned about it.
BASHIR: Did he understand what was behind the physical act of hurting yourself, do you think?
DIANA: No, but then not many people would have taken the time to see that.
BASHIR: Were you able to admit that you were in fact unwell, or did you feel compelled simply to
carry on performing as the Princess of Wales?
DIANA: I felt compelled to perform. Well, when I say perform, I was compelled to go out and do my
engagements and not let people down and support them and love them.
And in a way by being out in public they supported me, although they weren't aware just how much
healing they were giving me, and it carried me through.
BASHIR: But did you feel that you had to maintain the public image of a successful Princess of
Wales?
DIANA: Yes I did, yes I did.
BASHIR: The depression was resolved, as you say, but it was subsequently reported that you
suffered bulimia. Is that true?
DIANA: Yes, I did. I had bulimia for a number of years. And that's like a secret disease.
You inflict it upon yourself because your self-esteem is at a low ebb, and you don't think you're worthy
or valuable. You fill your stomach up four or five times a day - some do it more - and it gives you a
feeling of comfort.
It's like having a pair of arms around you, but it's temporarily, temporary. Then you're disgusted at the
bloatedness of your stomach, and then you bring it all up again.
And it's a repetitive pattern which is very destructive to yourself.
BASHIR: How often would you do that on a daily basis?
DIANA: Depends on the pressures going on. If I'd been on what I call an awayday, or I'd been up part of
the country all day, I'd come home feeling pretty empty, because my engagements at that time would
be to do with people dying, people very sick, people's marriage problems, and I'd come home and it
would be very difficult to know how to comfort myself having been comforting lots of other people, so it
would be a regular pattern to jump into the fridge.
It was a symptom of what was going on in my marriage.
I was crying out for help, but giving the wrong signals, and people were using my bulimia as a coat on
a hanger: they decided that was the problem - Diana was unstable.
BASHIR: Instead of looking behind the symptom at the cause.
DIANA: Uh,uh.
BASHIR: What was the cause?
DIANA: The cause was the situation where my husband and I had to keep everything together because
we didn't want to disappoint the public, and yet obviously there was a lot of anxiety going on within our
four walls.
BASHIR: Do you mean between the two of you?
DIANA: Uh,uh.
BASHIR: And so you subjected yourself to this phase of bingeing and vomiting?
DIANA: You could say the word subjected, but it was my escape mechanism, and it worked, for me, at
that time.