‘We must treat addicts with love and compassion’

Catherine wants end to stigma of sufferers

- BY EMILY FERGUSON Royal Editor

THE Princess of Wales has urged people to treat addicts with empathy, not contempt, to help end the self-defeating shame spiral.

Mother-of-three Catherine wants the issue to be reframed “with kindness and understanding”, so those struggling with dependency “know they are not alone”.

The royal, 43, has issued the powerful message in her role as patron of the Forward Trust to support Addiction Awareness Week. She writes: “Addiction is not a choice, or a personal failing, but a complex mental health condition that should be met with empathy and support.

“But even now in 2025, people’s experience of addiction is shaped by fear, shame and judgement. This needs to change.

“The stigma surrounding those who face addiction allows it to thrive behind closed doors, impacting families and communities and ultimately ruining lives.”