Ben Smith offered hope, motivation, and vulnerability in a recent post about mental health.
Ben appeared on The Bachelorette Season 16 with leads Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams.
During his time on the show, Ben made it far and opened up to Tayshia about his mental health struggles.
Fans appreciated Ben sharing his past experiences and resilience on The Bachelorette.
His followers also appreciated his recent candid post, as he’s amassed 299k followers on Instagram.
In his post, Ben got honest about struggling with emotional and mental health for as long as he can remember.
Warning: this article contains subjects that may be sensitive to some readers.
The Bachelorette alum Ben Smith is grateful to still be here
Ben Smith took to Instagram to share two photos of himself in the mountains with a gorgeous view of a sunset and the city behind him.
The Bachelor Nation star stretched out his hands in the photos as he smiled at the camera.
While Ben appeared content in the sunny images, he explained that viewers were looking at a guy who “has struggled with his mental and emotional health for as long as he can remember. A guy who had felt like all was lost, like he didn’t belong, and like there wasn’t anyone to help or any way out.”
Ben shared what he wished his younger self knew, which is that “there are people out there who really do care about him and help was always an option. It was always there.”
Ben went on to share how grateful he is to still be here after attempts at taking his own life. He urged his followers to remember when they feel blinded by the circumstances in front of them, they have options and people in their corner, which are reasons to keep going.
Ben Smith champions seeking help with mental health struggles
Reflecting on his past, Ben wrote, “I think about all the moments I would have missed had I successfully taken my life and I’m devastated that many don’t make it through,” later adding that he is thankful that he has the opportunity to ensure he never goes back to that dark and difficult place again.
Ben concluded his post by encouraging those in the same place he used to be to call or text someone if they need help and reminded them they could also contact the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
The nationwide 988 dialing code was adopted in July 2020 and provides a way for people in crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988 or 911 in case of emergency.
The Bachelorette airs Tuesday, September 20 at 8/7c on ABC.