Katie Thurston is getting vulnerable. Before Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette aired last year, she shared that was in a dark place. Now, she’s opening up about her mental health struggles, even admitting she began taking medication to help deal with the difficulties.

Thurston took to Instagram over the weekend to share a vulnerable reminder about how mental health matters. She recounts how a producer told her “the old Katie is dead.”

“The new Katie will rise from the ashes,” the producer’s text message said. While the sentiment was meant to build her up, the reality star revealed how accurate the first statement was.

While Katie Thurston was a fan-favorite during The Bachelor, things went south for her popularity during The Bachelorette. She recalled going on antidepressants before her season started airing in her Instagram post.

“I thought I knew what to expect. I didn’t. I thought I was strong enough to handle the negativity. I wasn’t.”

The former bank marketing manager’s highs and lows of the last year began after she joined Bachelor Nation as a contestant on season 25 of The Bachelor.

After Matt James sent her home, the San Diego resident became the season 17 lead of The Bachelorette. Her engagement to the final rose pick, Blake Moynes, ended a few months after the proposal aired on TV. Shortly after, she announced a new relationship with former contestant John Hersey.