Helping others.
Bachelor Nation fans got to know Thomas Nguyen on Jenn Tran’s season of “The Bachelorette.”
After his time on the show, Thomas has been keeping fans updated with his life on social media.
This week he opened up about his journey with mental health and shared his story in a new video in honor of World Mental Health Day.
In the video, he vulnerably shares, “As a person who’s openly struggled with mental health in the past, it’s something that I’ve grown very passionate about. I’ll share a little quick, CliffsNotes version about my history with mental health. I lost my sister at a very, very young age right before Christmas, and it kind of rocked my family. That’s one of the big things that kind of led me in the direction of being an advocate for mental health.”
He continued, sharing, “I stopped swimming super abruptly, a sport that I did for 20 years. I tied so much of who I was as a person and my identity to this sport, and so to lose that basically overnight was something that also kind of affected my mental health.”
Thomas then opened up about how going to therapy and reaching out to those around him has helped him during difficult times.
He advised, “If you’re struggling and you’re going through a rough patch, reach out to the people that are around you. I promise you that people are more willing to listen than you may think. You may think, ‘Hey, no one really cares about my problems,’ but I promise you the people that are around you, the people that care about you, they do.”
Thomas continued, “I’ve been blessed to have a support system of friends and family that if I asked them that I needed them, they would drop whatever they were doing and be right there to help me out. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your friends about it, reach out to a professional, a therapist, and get some professional help.”
As a mental health advocate, Thomas shared how important it is to check in on people and how much it can help those going through a hard time.
He shared, “If you know someone who’s going through [a hard time], just send them that text: ‘Hey, thinking about you. Hey, you wanna grab a bite? Hey, you wanna come over and watch the game?’ Things like that. It does so much for that person as someone who was that person. It does so much for them, more than you would ever think, just that check-in.”
Thomas also touched on how he hopes to get rid of the stigma around mental health and seeking help.
“I’ve been going to therapy now for about eight years and I feel more and more in tune with how to work through certain situations,” he shared, “so I’m a huge advocate for getting help. And I’m a huge advocate of ‘it’s okay to not be okay.’”
Thomas then finished his video with an important reminder for his followers.
He said, “Text someone that you care about, tell them ‘Hi,’ check in on those around you that are struggling. And if you’re struggling, reach out to someone that you hold close to you, and if you don’t have anyone, you have me. Shoot me a DM. I am more than happy to lend an ear or help you however I can.”
Alongside his video, Thomas also wrote, “It does get better soon! You don’t have to do it by yourself! Reach out to the people around you, have grace with strangers cause you never know what they’re going through, and it’s not weak to ask for help.”
We couldn’t agree more.
We appreciate Thomas for being so vulnerable and sharing his story about his mental health journey. We know it will help so many others.
Bachelor Nation is sending our love and support to anyone who’s struggling — you are not alone.
