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"I looked at the photo and I just cried." The childhood picture that brought Sam Frost to tears.

Warning: This post deals with depression and might be triggering for some readers.

"You are going to be ok." 

Those are the words Sam Frost would tell her younger self. 

In a candid Instagram post, the former Bachelorette has opened up about the depression she experienced growing up and how "awful" that period of her life was.   

Sharing a photo of herself smiling with braces, the 31-year-old explained, "My sister sent me this photo today... immediately I replied 'SO gross! I look disgusting!!! What a depressing period in my life'."

"Then I stopped... I went back into our family chat. I looked at the photo for a long time... looked at my face. My eyes. And I just cried. I remember how awful this period in my life was."

The Home and Away star went on to say that she was "extremely depressed for a very long time".

"My life had been full of incredibly difficult challenges... I couldn’t handle it anymore and I felt like my life wasn’t worth sticking around for. But somehow, I got through it. I found the light when darkness was the only thing I could see, feel  and breathe."

Frost took the opportunity to give her younger self some very important advice. 

"If I could go back in time, I’d tell younger me... I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but you are going to be ok. You are going to have the most beautiful life. Your pain will go away, I promise."

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"And future you, will be SO PROUD that you never gave up... you somehow found strength. You found the light. More importantly you found yourself."

Frost previously spoke to Mamamia about the mental health issues she experienced after her Bachelor days and split from Bachelorette winner Sasha Meilczarek.

Speaking about her past radio show with Rove McManus, Sam said it was unbelievably hard to turn up to work some days. 

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"It was a really vulnerable position to be in, particularly when your relationship’s breaking down, or you’re having a really s**ty time," she told Mamamia.

"It’s really difficult to go to work and they say ‘so what did you do on the weekend’ and I feel like saying; ‘I slept and cried all weekend'."

"Having to be upbeat when you aren’t is hard," she admitted.

However, Sam explained that years of therapy has helped her stay on top of her mental health. 

"I feel like I have evolved a lot and learnt a lot about how our brains work and the psychology behind depression and anxiety, and worked with my psychologist to feel at peace," she said. 

"It has allowed me to objectively see my experiences and where I've come from and talk about it honestly."

Sam now runs Believe by Sam Frost, a mental health initiative for young girls and women focusing on depression, anxiety, toxic relationships and navigating the challenging world of social media. 

If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner. If you're based in Australia, 24-hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.

Feature Image: Instagram @fro01