The 31-year-old construction manager has been keeping a low-profile since his highly-publicised split with Sam Frost last December — instead opting to escape the big smoke and centre himself on the NSW South Coast.
Speaking to news.com.au, Mielczarek said he’d experienced a difficult time over the past six months.
“I’m a blokey-bloke ... I suffered in silence and didn’t talk about it,” the ambassador for Movember said.
“I remember one time I’d finished work and was having a chat to Mum on the phone. She asked if I was OK and I said, ‘Yeah, yeah I’m all good,’ — but she could tell something was up.
“I went to the gym and came back and she was there ... she’d driven up to spend time with me.”
The former reality TV star also explained that when things reached the boiling point he would reinforce a greater perspective, telling himself “think about things like sick kids in hospital”.
“But you can’t tell your mind that — it’s difficult to get your mind out of that funk.”
Mielczarek credits his recovery to his strong support network: “I’m lucky my mum was very close to me then and we’d talk it through. But it took me a while to open up to other men as well, like my friends.”