In this exclusive extract from her new memoir, Believe, former Bachelorette and Home and Away star Sam Frost explains what motivated her to publicly share her mental health struggles.

There’s no trick to growth; there are no shortcuts. It took me years of work, and it still takes work. There will always be awful days that might derail me and I need to try my best to make sure they don’t. Because nothing is more important than my health – specifically, my mental health.

I know there are a lot of you who are having awful days, who are struggling right now while you’re reading this. I can’t take your pain away, but I can hold your hand and walk through this terrain with you. Some of you send me messages – messages from the heart, messages containing your truth. You trust me with your pain. That is an extraordinary privilege. It’s not one I take for granted – ever. It’s also the reason why my sister, Kristine, and I established our online community, BELIEVE by Sam Frost.

I feel a great responsibility towards the people who write to me. I think having a career in the public eye means I have a responsibility to be a good role model, to be authentic and to help where I can.

One of the main reasons we created BELIEVE was because I was inundated with people reaching out to me, sharing stories of their struggles. I’m a very empathetic person, so I don’t just surface-read them, I feel them. I am deeply humbled and appreciative of the people who have gone out of their way to be vulnerable, to share raw stories, to share parts of their lives with a stranger. I think it takes a great deal of bravery and courage.

After talking to women and teenagers through BELIEVE and its sister organisation, Stronger – by BELIEVE, I realised there was more to say. I wanted to share more of my story. I think you will see some of yourself in me, just as I’ve seen myself in some in you.

What’s in these pages are the things I would want to say to you if you were to write to me. Stories about my own life to help you navigate yours, and things I’ve learnt on the way.

That’s one of the reasons why I’ve written this book.

Another is that I’m a massive book lover. I love having something on my bookshelf that I can always open when I feel like I need guidance, some advice or reassurance that I’m not alone. I hope Believe can be that for you. I wanted to create something that people can have in their homes that they can go to when they feel like they’re lost or need guidance. Hopefully this book will help you feel confident and like you’re less alone and, more importantly, help you find yourself, find hope and light.

One of my favourite books – and it’s a classic for a reason – is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I think it’s such a beautiful book about trusting your intuition and how even when there are detours in life, they always end up leading you to exactly where you are meant to be. Anytime I face challenges or difficulties I always just trust that this is happening for a reason and, ultimately, I’m exactly where I need to be. The Alchemist always reminds me of that. I hope Believe is the start of a conversation you have not just with me but with yourself.