New The Bachelorette co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe is being praised by Bachelor Nation for her openness about attending therapy. From landing this once-in-a-lifetime gig alongside Tayshia Adams to contracting COVID-19, it's been a whirlwind few months for Kaitlyn. She's not afraid to let fans know that her anxiety is on the rise and she needs help in her mental health struggle. With so many fans facing similar battles, the response to Kaitlyn's vulnerability has been overwhelmingly positive.
Former Bachelorette leads Kaitlyn and Tayshia are taking over hosting duties from Chris Harrison on Katie Thurston's upcoming season. When the dynamic duo was announced, diehard Chris supporters left some not-so-nice comments on Kaitlyn's social media posts. Though she clapped back at the haters, no one is fully immune from such negativity. Prior to this, Kaitlyn and boyfriend Jason Tartick contracted COVID-19, which forced them to celebrate the holiday season in lonely quarantine. Once recovered, Kaitlyn was slammed for allegedly going out too much during the pandemic. She once again clapped back.
Though Kaitlyn usually appears strong and confident, being in the spotlight takes its toll. She recently gave her followers a look at her raw self. On her Instagram Story, Kaitlyn shared a makeup-free, puffy-eyed selfie from her therapist's office. The caption read, "Tissues and coffee. The perfect therapy combo." Shortly after, she posted a photo in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Kaitlyn revealed that she attends therapy once a month, and has been doing so for the past eight years. She said, "I have had a pretty blessed life, and I still suffer from depression and anxiety. I still need to work on my shadows, stop believing the lies I tell myself, overcoming my trauma (big or small), and learning to love myself." See the full post below.
On Reddit, fans applauded Kaitlyn for being so candid regarding therapy. One said, "I love seeing this from Kaitlyn and how she just puts it out there. The more people talk about therapy the more normalized it becomes for everyone. Mental health issues, especially in our youth, from the past year is on the rise and impacts all of society." Another commented that Kaitlyn previously stated how accepting the Bachelorette co-hosting job was hard and "resurfaced old trauma." Many shared their own journeys fighting anxiety, and let Kaitlyn know she's not alone in her fight: "Good for her for being open. I am in weekly therapy as well and don't know what I would do without it."
It's understandable why filling in for Chris Harrison could be anxiety-inducing. Half of Bachelor Nation wants Chris to be "canceled" for good following his controversial remarks about Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's Old South Ball attendance. There's a lot of pressure on Kaitlyn and Tayshia to not say or do anything to offend viewers. Meanwhile, the other half desperately wants Chris to return to their TV screens. They won't accept anybody else. It's been said that Kaitlyn and Tayshia aren't permanently replacing Chris, and will serve as "experienced girlfriends" to Katie during her quest to find love on The Bachelorette. Therefore, critics of Kaitlyn can rest assured she's not trying to take his job and can stop sending hateful messages.
Source: Kaitlyn Bristowe, Reddit