Home & Away's Sam Frost shares heartbreaking transformation

Home and Away’s Sam Frost blew fans away today with an incredibly raw and honest post about embracing her transformation from depressed teen to self-love as an adult.

The former Bachelorette, 31, took to Instagram to share what at first appears to be a run of the mill throwback photo of her awkward teenage years, something we see celebs do in all the time.

In the caption, however, Sam delved a little deeper into her reaction to her very different looking self in the photo, and on what that time in her life really looked like.

Sam, who runs Believe by Sam Frost, a charity dedicated to highlighting women’s mental health, revealed that the seemingly-happy teen in the photo had in fact been in the throes of serious depression.

“If I could go back in time, I’d tell younger me... I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but YOU ARE GOING TO BE OK,” she captioned the stirring post. “You are going to have the most beautiful life. Your pain will go away, I promise. And future you, will be SO PROUD that you never gave up... you somehow found strength. You found the light. More importantly, you found yourself.”

Giving a little more context, Sam explained her sister Kristine had sent her the snap and initially she was horrified by her younger self.

“My sister sent me this photo today... immediately I replied “SO gross! I look disgusting!!! What a depressing period in my life.’” she revealed.

“Then I stopped... I went back into our family chat. I looked at the photo for a long time.. looked at my face. My eyes. And I just cried.”

Sam went on to explain that the photo reminded her of years she spent fighting depression, and of a particularly low moment when she was unsure she could carry on.

“I remember how awful this period in my life was,” she wrote. “I was EXTREMELY depressed, for a very long time. My life had been full of incredibly difficult challenges... I couldn’t handle it anymore & I felt like my life wasn’t worth sticking around for.”

“But somehow, I got through it,” she continued. “I found the light when darkness was the only thing I could see, feel & breathe. So to you, younger Sam. I see you. I love you. And I’m proud of you. You are so much stronger than you know x.”

The star also explained she felt compelled to share the memory in a bid to bring the girl in the photo out into the light, and to encourage often tricky conversations about the times we might not remember so fondly.

“I’m taking you all on the journey with me because this girl in the photo deserves light & love.. not to be hidden away in purposefully blocked out memories,” she wrote.

The powerful post clearly resonated deeply with Sam’s 566,000 followers, thousands of whom liked the photo and hundreds more who shared their reactions in comments.

“Our broken parts make us stronger!” Studio 10 reporter Sarah Harris wrote. “Sending love to you lady.”

“Big hugs and love to you young Sam,” Aussie star Georgie Parker wrote.

“I think you’re wonderful and magic,” radio bigwig Ben Fordham wrote.

“Love you Sam,” Sunrise weather presenter Sam Mac. wrote. “You’re one of the greats x”

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