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On Tuesday, Kate Middleton gave an impassioned keynote speech for The Forward Trust‘s “Taking Action on Addiction” campaign, lending her voice to the conversation as one of her many projects within her royal duties. Discussing the roots of addiction and common misconceptions surrounding the disease, Middleton addressed within her speech the frightening reality that nobody is truly above addiction.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign on October 19, Middleton delivered a powerful speech to the crowd. "Addiction is not a choice," she said. "No one chooses to become an addict. But it can happen to any one of us. None of us are immune. It is all too rarely discussed as a serious mental health condition and seldom do we take the time to uncover and fully understand its fundamental root causes."
Addiction Awareness Week falls from October 18–24, and the 39-year-old royal spoke on the stigma surrounding the disease, sharing that she hoped to remove some of the negative connotation addiction brings to those that suffer. "As a society, we need to start from a position of compassion and empathy. Where we nurture those around us, understand their journey, and what has come before them," she said.
The Forward Trust teamed up for a merge with the Action on Addiction organization back in May, with the duchess joining the team in June as a patron. In her keynote speech, she shared that she also had hope to lower addiction rates, saying, "I fully support The 'Taking Action on Addiction' campaign to improve awareness and understanding of addiction. The campaign will show us that, not only do many people recover from addiction, they can go on to prosper."
Fighting addiction is only one of many causes that Middleton has chosen to throw her support behind during her time in the royal family. Middleton also acts as an active participant in drawing attention to SportsAid, East Anglia Children's Hospices, and Action For Children, among others.
