Josh Seiter.Photo:Josh Seiter/Instagram
Josh Seiter/Instagram
“For the last month I’ve received hundreds of hateful messages and unending harassment related to my account being hacked,” he shared with his 583,000 followers.
“I wish I was stronger but I can’t take any more and am logging off of social media for good and am checking myself into a wellness facility now to try to get some kind of handle on my mental health,” he continued. “I am losing my phone in the next hour. I love you all. To the people sending me death threats, you win.”
Seiter appeared as a prospective suitor onseason 11ofABC’sThe Bachelorettein 2015 duringKaitlyn Bristowe’s season but was eliminated during week one.
On Aug. 28, a statement attributed to Seiter’s family appeared on his Instagram feed announcing he had died, with no cause declared at the time.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua’s unexpected passing,” the announcement read. “As all who knew him can attest, Joshua was an incredibly bright light in an increasingly dim world.”
“His fearless voice and indomitable spirit helped thousands of people in their darkest moments feel just a little less alone,” the statement continued. “Although our heartache at Joshua’s passing pains us beyond measure, we find comfort knowing that he is finally at peace.”
Less than 24 hours later, Seiter deleted the previous false death statement and uploaded apersonal videodeclaring his account had been compromised.
Josh Seiter on ‘The Bachelorette’ in 2015.Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
PEOPLE spoke to Seiteron the phone shortly after the incident to confirm he was alive. Seiter — who has long been open about his mental health journey — called the hack “very unfortunate” and said he wants to keep being an advocate for honest discussions about mental health.
“If you’re not open and honest, it precludes a connection to other people that are going through something similar,” Seiter told PEOPLE. “Silence is going to lead inevitably to more suffering and more pain. I feel like when you’re open about something, it opens up connections to other people who might be going through the same thing.”
In July, Seiter posted about his mental health on Instagram, writing, “When I was 21 I was completely catatonic and committed to a psychiatric ward. When I was 22 I tried taking my own life. At 23, I underwentelectroshock therapy.”
Today, Seiter uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exercise to manage his mental health as a “holistic approach to battling back against thedepression and anxiety.”
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Seiter told PEOPLE he wants his life to continue so he can keep searching for that sense of purpose.
“I just want to keep working on myself,” he said. “I want to keep living. I want to keep searching for peace and happiness. I don’t have any grand goals of conquering the world or anything, I just want to find meaning in life.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
