Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has revealed she recently spent some time in a Swiss clinic to learn more about mental health and addiction.
The British royal opened up about her visit, and what it meant to her, in a post on her Instagram page and in an article for the British newspaper, The Telegraph.
“Mental health touches us all — it has no boundaries. We need to promote open conversations about mental health and how we can improve access to mental healthcare across society,” she wrote in the Instagram post. “I recently spent time at @paracelsusrecovery in Zurich, a clinic known for its discreet, bespoke care for those facing complex mental health and addiction challenges, to learn more.”
In the article, Sarah said she went to the clinic for both personal reasons and to learn more about the process for her advocacy work. Throughout the article, the Duchess of York was candid about battling eating disorders in the past and experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after her mother abandoned the family when she was just a child.
“I wasn’t there to be diagnosed, but we discussed my own childhood and the profound scars that were left when my mother left the family when I was 12 for a new life in South America,” she said.
The Duchess said that these past issues, recent online abuse, plus a double cancer diagnosis of breast cancer and skin cancer, led to her visiting the clinic.
“Most recently, I don’t mind admitting that my mind went to some dark places — focusing on my own mortality — when I was diagnosed with first breast cancer and then skin cancer, which my father had when he died and also killed my best friend,” she wrote in the Telegraph.
The Duchess said the clinic offered her a “sanctuary”, which was perfect for someone like her whose struggles are “hidden behind the facade of a public role”.
The 65-year-old also said that her visit to the clinic helped her learn more about ADHD and made her wonder whether she might have the neurodevelopmental disorder.
“A lot has been written about ADHD in recent years, and I’ve sometimes wondered whether there might be signs of it in me,” she wrote. “Dr Beck explained how adult ADHD often presents as chronic disorganisation, impulsivity and difficulties in maintaining focus, which can be misinterpreted as character flaws rather than a neurological condition.”
In the past, the Duchess of York has been open about battling major binge eating disorder. In 2024, she told the Daily Telegraph her cancer diagnosis actually helped her finally seek help.
“When I got cancer I put my life back in the middle and food back in its rightful place, not intentionally. It just happened because I realised that I was eating instead of living. At 65, I’m now free of the shackles of unworthiness and self-doubt,” she told the publication at the time.
“My melanoma scars, the scars of my cancer, it took me being literally carved up to cut away the addictions of self-doubt and self-judgment that I have lived with since the age of 11,” she added. “Don’t wait to be cut open in order to cut away the addiction. My addiction was my addiction to food.”
Fergie ended her Instagram post with a message to her followers: “If you or someone you know is struggling, I encourage you to seek help. You are not alone, and there is no shame in taking the steps towards healing.”
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