‘Don’t understand’: Sam Frost shares ‘uncomfortable’ mental health truth
Sam Frost has revealed the “uncomfortable” truth surrounding her darkest times, and what got her through them.
Mental Health
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It is the uncomfortable truth of dealing with mental health – it’s often not an easy subject to discuss, particularly when you are in the midst of dealing with a crisis.
Actor, media personality and mental health advocate Sam Frost speaks from experience.
“Mental illness and mental health issues can be very uncomfortable. It is uncomfortable to deal with, it is hard to deal with and it’s not like there is a quick fix for it,” Frost told news.com.au.
The 35-year-old has been open in her struggles with mental health in the hope that her story helps others going through similar struggles.
The former Home and Away star is acutely aware that having a voice in the conversation is difficult in and of itself.
“It is like the old saying, you break your leg, you go to hospital, you put your leg in a cast and then it heals for six weeks,” she explained.
“Mental illness is nothing like that. The issues are deeper and the issues are within yourself and within your own mind and so you often feel like people don’t understand.
Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needed to have the most important conversation of their life.
“You can try to express and explain how you feel what’s going on within yourself but it’s hard for people to really understand so I guess that’s where the isolation comes from. And often when you’re in those dark spaces, you feel like you’re a burden to people when in actual fact, people like helping people I think.”
Frost has lent her voice to Can We Talk? a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needed to have the most important conversation of their life.
“I do think that there is still a stigma surrounding mental health and mental health issues,” said Frost, who is pregnant with her second child and due any time over the coming weeks.
“We’re trying to change it but I think we have to keep the conversations going and we need to normalise conversations about mental health. We need to normalise expressing how we feel, particularly for men as well.
“Nobody should go through it alone.”
On a recent episode of the Mental As Anyone podcast, Frost spoke of her darkest time, which came when she was filming Home and Away.
That moment led to the former Bachelorette reality contestant and radio host being hospitalised.
She credits her family, and particularly her four brothers and one sister, for getting her through those tough times.
“I have been incredibly fortunate in my life to be surrounded by very loving and compassionate people,” she said.
“I have a very small inner circle with my siblings, my sister and my brothers have been amazing. They are the most supportive people and they all have a broad knowledge and experience with mental health issues and mental illness so I feel very supported in that way. And I’ve got really great friends.
“I worry for people who don’t have that support network, because I know how isolating it can be to struggle with mental illness and depression and anxiety, and not feel like you’ve got anywhere to turn.”
New research by News Corp’s Growth Distillery with Medibank has revealed an alarming number of Australians don’t know where to turn for help when it comes to discussing their mental health.
More than half – 51 per cent of participants in the survey – have wanted to reach out to discuss their mental wellbeing but didn’t, while one in four admitted it wasn’t a conversation they were comfortable taking part in at all. Young Australians were significantly more likely to feel this way – 67 per cent of Gen Z and 62 per cent of millennials.
Of those who had reached out for help, one in two Gen Z participants said they received an unhelpful or negative response, and younger Australians were significantly more likely to report experiencing poor or below average mental health.
To those suffering, Frost wants to offer one key takeaway – things will get better.
“When you’re in that darkness, it’s really hard to see the light,” she said.
“It is so impossible to feel like the days are going to get brighter and the days are going to get better, but they will. That is the most important thing … not giving up. It is really hard to feel like you’re ever going to feel like yourself again, but you will. Rely on people and don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek support. Finding strength and courage to ask for help will be one of the biggest blessings in your life that you could do for yourself.”
Originally published as ‘Don’t understand’: Sam Frost shares ‘uncomfortable’ mental health truth
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