Osher Gunsberg’s battle with drugs, booze and mental illness

IN THE wake of the fat-shaming controversy, Osher Gunsberg has written an emotional, deeply personal letter to his 18-year-old self.

OSHER Gunsberg has written an emotional letter to his 18-year-old self, warning of the painful battle with drugs, alcohol and mental illness that will almost take his life.

The Bachelor host read out the letter this morning (RUOK? Day) on his Hit 105 radio show and had to pause on several occasions to compose himself.

“I’m very different to the person you are now,” Gunsberg said in the letter to his younger self, “So different I even changed my name but you’ll find out about that in 2009”.

“You’ve just finished high school. I say finished because technically you did finish but you didn’t pass or anything. Right now you’re watching all of your school friends go through the adventures of first year university and you’re feeling ashamed and honestly quite stupid that you’re not as smart as they are.

“You’re ashamed that you’re not smarter, you’re ashamed that you’re unemployed and you’re ashamed that you’re overweight. To top it off, the people that you thought were your best friends in the world are keeping an arms length from you because you’re starting to act out and get pretty weird.

An early radio promo shot from when he was known as Andrew “Spidey” G.

“You’re experiencing the early but significant signs of what will one day develop into a mental illness which you will end up taking daily medication for and I know, it’s quite scary. But you think you’ve got it under control because you’re handling those intrusive thoughts and anxiety in the same time honoured way that Australian men have been dealing with mental illness for years, by drinking enormous amounts of alcohol.”

Gunsberg revealed to his younger self that he’s now been sober for more than six years.

“Reading this you’ve only tried weed and alcohol but you’re gonna give pretty much everything a go and pretty much everything will make you feel horrible and induce terrifying states of mind that you will barely escape from,” he wrote.

“But you’ll keep ingesting drugs and alcohol ... All you’re going to do is permanently mess up your brain and make the symptoms that you’re trying to drink away worse and worse.

“You’re going to start drinking more and more until one day you’ll have a moment of clarity where you decide that facing life with the brain you’ve got is actually less frightening than your rapidly approaching yet inevitable demise.”

Osher Gunsberg with his Hit105 breakfast co-hosts, Abby Coleman and Stav Davidson. Picture: Jamie Hanson

As grim as it sounds, Gunsberg goes on to tell his younger self not to worry, that things will eventually turn out OK.

“You’re two years away from starting a successful career in broadcasting and I’m writing this 24 years later in a busy September where I’ve just wrapped up one of the five jobs that I currently do.

“I’m not gonna lie. The next half of your life is going to be hard and you’ll experience levels of fear that you didn’t know existed. But try not to worry.

“One day, it will get bad enough that you’ll eventually listen to you doctors. Follow their advice because they’re right. I promise things will get better. One day you will live a lifestyle where you actually show yourself enough self care and self worth that you don’t wake up in crippling fear every morning.”

Osher Gunsberg’s open letter comes just days after he was “bullied” by news outlets who published shirtless photos of the TV and radio host on holidays in Indonesia.

Osher Gunsberg and Audrey Griffen at the Australian Premiere of the new movie "Mad Max: Fury Road" held at Event Cinemas in Sydney. Picture: Christian Gilles

If you or someone you know is in need of crisis or suicide prevention support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp