When Australia was launched to Dr Matt Agnew as Network 10’s 2019 Bachelor, the nation collectively fell in love along with his appeal, putting beauty and love of all issues science.
That shiny picture, nevertheless, quickly revealed itself as a curse, and together with the fallout of the truth present, was a beast that has continued to hang-out the now 36-year-old.
Agnew, an astrophysicist, revealed that whereas he had skilled a “salad of mental issues” since his early 20s, they got here to a head within the months and years following this system.
Upholding the unattainable process of what he felt was an expectation to current his life “perfectly”, had a damaging impression on his psychological well being and physique picture.
The public’s response to his short-lived post-Bachelor relationship with chemical engineer Chelsie McLeod additionally had an enormous impression on Agnew who stated he “did not cope” with the fallout.
“I struggled. I did not cope. I hit some pretty dark times after that and I’m glad I got through,” the robotronic fanatic instructed news.com.au.
The severity of his psychological difficulties had been stark however, as a direct consequence of his braveness to talk brazenly about them, have since formed essential conversations in rooms throughout the nation.
He joined Beyond Blue as an envoy and has most lately been advocating for the organisation’s Big Blue Table initiative, which inspires Aussies to host informal meals within the spirit of connection and elevating cash to proceed funding the essential 24/7 help service.
Agnew expressed the significance of disaster assets, significantly given time and monetary constraints of conventional psychiatric therapy, which was not all the time accessible to on a regular basis Australians.
“The really challenging thing with this is that I was in such a privileged position to be able to afford all of these resources that not everyone has access to,” he stated.
“It [mental illness] is really hard to get through, I got through because I had this quite comparatively luxurious position.”
At his worst, he stated his signs felt insurmountable.
“I don’t know how one can really battle their way through without access to all those resources,” he stated.
“I’m really grateful I had access, but it really highlighted for me this massive chasm that has to be crossed by someone going through the kinds of things I did, and often worse, without having the same resources I had.”
While Agnew has for the previous decade been navigating life with anxiousness and despair, he was extra lately re-diagnosed with bipolar 2, which he was instructed typically manifested in the same technique to his former diagnoses.
“I’ve had some really dark times. I’ve spoken candidly about some of these things, and they’re still hard for me to talk about,” he defined.
His darkest level was in 2021, when his psychological sickness led him to start “putting things in place” to finish his life.
“That’s probably the lowest I’ve ever been,” he stated. “I did fortunately make it out, which unfortunately is not the case for many Australians.”
He credited his survival to leaning on pals and family members, the appropriate mixture of medicine, psychologist and psychiatric help, and an understanding of how his thoughts labored.
Agnew stated he now acknowledged the distinctive and inevitable chaos of being a part of a actuality courting program was not effectively suited to him and, whereas help was made out there, it was unlikely to be sufficient to cowl off each participant’s broad scope of psychological wants.
Suicide of actuality TV contestants has lengthy solid a darkish cloud over the hype, significantly within the UK the place a number of stars have taken their lives after re-entering normality.
One technique to “get the upper hand”, Agnew stated, was by sustaining relationships and having discussions round psychological well being with family members.
“Get involved with something like the Big Blue Table initiative, and the funds raised helped no call go unanswered. Plus it’s easy to do, you just have a meal with your friends,” he stated.
“It could be a picnic in a park or catching up for a barbecue. Something really simple.
It’s about creating that safe space with your nearest and dearest, having vulnerable conversations and trying to normalise these things. Mental illness thrives in isolation.”
brooke.rolfe@news.com.au
Source: www.news.com.au
