Season 15’s Bachelorette Hannah Brown has been open with audiences in a way that we have never seen before. Whereas past Bachelorettes have tried to make it seem like they have everything together, Brown is very open about calling herself “the hot mess express.”

She’s never been one to shy away from expressing her true feelings or sharing what she has been through. In the past, Brown has even talked about struggling with anxiety and depression during her time in the world of beauty pageants.

But now that she is the Bachelorette, is she still dealing with some of those same issues?

Does Brown still struggle with depression and anxiety?

Brown might seem like she has it all. A hair and makeup team, all-expense-paid vacations, and 30 men competing for the chance to go on a date with her. But that doesn’t mean that she still isn’t struggling with her mental health.

“There are times when I get super anxious and want to be able to control all of the things going on around me,” she told The Hollywood Reporter when asked if she still has problems with anxiety. “But this journey has really allowed me to accept that I can’t control how people react to me, and I can’t always control how I react. Doing this show has taught me how to handle that in a more positive way. I think it’s okay to just say, “Hey, I’m a little anxious, I’m a little sad.”

“Because we all have moments where we feel that way, and The Bachelorette is a great platform for me to be candid about things that I’ve struggled with and to be able to combat them. I’m in such a better spot than I was even as a titleholder [then], where I can talk about what I’ve been through. I can talk about what I’ve been able to overcome and what I still struggle with, but also the techniques and how I surround myself with people to make sure I feel safe and secure and comforted.” 

Brown’s past struggles

When Brown first entered the Miss Alabama pageant circuit, she failed to make the top 15 for four years in a row. This, obviously, was a hit to the Alabama native’s self-esteem.

“It was kind of discouraging,” Brown once told Yellowhammer News. “People always have an opinion about what you do, what you say, how you walk, how you dress. I took the wrong outlook on what pageantry should be – I thought my self-worth was through recognition.”

After she began spiraling, Brown decided to take a break from pageants to focus on her mental health.

“In that moment, it is so hard to see joy in life,” she told the outlet. “I can remember times where I didn’t want to get up.”

Now, Brown uses her platform as Miss Alabama USA 2018 and the Bachelorette to help other people who are going through similar issues.

“I am here to encourage people and to be like … ‘hey, I’ve been there, but here I am today. … I’ve been in a dark place, but there is light in the darkness,'” she said.