Prince William was "lonely" after he left his "traumatic" job as an air ambulance pilot.
Prince William visited the Blue Light Hub
The Prince of Wales - who worked for the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service from 2015 to 2017 - warned emergency service personnel they may face a "cliff fall" in their wellbeing when their jobs come to an end as he took part in a round table discussion about the importance of protecting their mental health while doing the job.
According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, he said during a visit to the Blue Light Hub, an emergency services facility in Milton Keynes: “For me, the traumatic jobs were what triggered me.
“The biggest issue was when I left altogether … when you do retire or step away from what you’re doing, don’t underestimate that a bit of a cliff fall can happen.
“Because not only do you suddenly – life suddenly catches up to you a little bit – but then you’re also quite isolated … your teammates aren’t around to catch you and that can feel quite lonely and isolating.”
The 41-year-old royal - who has three children with wife Catherine, Princess of Wales - told how he "couldn't shake" certain incidents and the level of trauma he'd experience gradually built up.
He said: “I had an armour up, as I know you all do, but a couple of them penetrated in.
“I can’t explain how or why they did and I couldn’t shake them and they built up over time. Then each job I went on after that I couldn’t quite keep it away, I’d take it home, and then it just built from there.”
William revealed he was campaigning for "decompression breaks" in emergency service personnel's career so they could take the time to clear their heads.
He said: “We have to be better at managing your mental health, for the long-term welfare of all of you guys and the long-term efficacy of what you guys do."
NHS clinical psychologist Dr. Sian Williams also joined the group and praised William for being a "powerful advocate" for the importance of looking after mental health.
She said: “He’s an incredibly powerful advocate because he knows what it’s like to work on the front line and the challenges that you face while doing that, the emotions that it can bring up, and how best you can process those emotions.”
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