Last week, one half of Married At First Sight's favourite couple –Cameron Merchant garnered a lot of attention when he teared up on the show, but now the reality TV star gets real about mental health.
Taking to his Instagram he penned a heartfelt letter.
"Me majority of the time... Happy, smiling, upbeat, but you know what, we are all human and sometimes things don't feel so great and we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders," the 34-year-old began in his caption.
"I'm a big believer in, feel what you need to feel, embrace it and get it out, understand what it is, pick yourself up and keep being amazing and moving forward. You can!" he continued.
"This week I copped criticism for showing my emotions, but I'm not ashamed of it one bit. To those of you, I'm sorry you feel that way and I hope in essence you are doing okay yourselves."
Me majority of the time.. Happy, smiling, upbeat.. but you know what we are all human & sometimes things don't feel so great & we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders I'm a big believer in, feel what you need to feel, embrace it & get it out.. understand what it is, pick yourself up & keep being amazing & moving forward.. You can! This week I copped criticism for showing my emotions but Im not ashamed of it one bit.. To those of you I'm sorry you feel that way & I hope in essence you are doing ok yourselves but I also received so much love, support & beautiful messages but also touching stories of others struggling with issues, whether it be with themselves, partners, families or friends.. there are times of need where we all just need to check in with each other to see if we are ok.. But guess what it is ok to talk about it & feel it Check in with your partner & don't be afraid to start a conversation to ask truly what's going on in someone's life.. we need to be open, we need to be raw, to be vulnerable.. to show how you are feeling & don't be afraid cause it may just save a life From my own personal experiences & coming out the other side I feel my purpose is to help other people that aren't quite ok & to make sure they know it's ok to not be ok to bring them back to the best version of themselves My goal in life is to help make a difference in Australia when it comes to mental health. Sadly it seems there is still judgment & a stigma to men showing their emotions. If we are not part of the solution we are part of the problem. Watch this space. Remember just how amazing you are & thank you again for all the love & support.. Im sorry if I haven't got back to you yet but I promise I will. Sending love & smiles straight back❤️ #itsoktonotbeok #openingup #emotions #gotcha4life #love #support #mentalhealth #youareamazing #strongerthanyouthink
However, the former cricketer revealed that not all his messages were negative – with some fans sending him notes of support.
"I received touching stories of people struggling with issues, whether it be with themselves, partners, families or friends. There are times of need where we all just need to check in with each other to see if we are okay."
The MAFS star also told viewers to keep an eye out for others in need of emotional support: "Check in with your partner and don't be afraid to start a conversation to ask truly what's going on in someone's life."
A special message indeed.
It's ok if you fall down & lose your spark, just make sure that when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire 🔥 Without doubt this experiment has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. I knew that in different stages it was never going to be easy & in this moment I felt that.. hard. We have been raw, honest & have given this experience everything. I have laughed & loved with so much joy, but this was difficult & had no option but to embrace it.. I feel no matter what you are going through, its ok to show emotions, to shed tears, to be vulnerable, no matter male or female it's ok sometimes not to be ok 👌🏽 I have been strong throughout, for my wife, my friends & for others but sometimes certain circumstances both within the experiment & outside life takes a small toll & we fall.. that's ok Im so thankful to have my beautiful wife @julesrobinson82 by my side every step of the way, who caught me as I fell. You have been my strength throughout & I can't thank you enough. You are my rock & I love you ❣️ To my friends & family words can't express the love & thanks I have for you. To so many loved & new friends who offer support. You are ever so special & I thank you. No matter what we are all going through, stay strong, keep smiling, be kind to one another & the show will go on! You are amazing & stronger than you think! Thank you. Much love❤ #oknot2beok #thankyou #strength #dothistogether #kindness #youarestrongerthanyouthink #hugs #MAFS
If you or someone you know needs support, help is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.
