Alaskan Bush People star Rain Brown opened up about her past mental health struggles in a new Instagram post Friday. The reality star was in a reflective mood after a “R&R” week.
The 16-year-old Brown, whose real name is Merry Christmas Kathryn Raindrop Brown, admitted she often worked herself too hard, refusing to take time off and ignored her mental health. During the break, Rain realized she was losing “sight of my values, who I was, and who I wanted to be.” She also included a photo of herself leaning against a tree.
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“A little bit ago I was given a week off from work, I had been working almost non stop for about a year, I showed up on time I worked I laughed and I reluctantly took the weekends off, even though I was proud of how hard I was working I was also not taking a lot of time for my mental health, I got very caught up in the daily stresses and struggles of life and had no time to just be me, and I’m not gonna lie, I lost sight of my values, who I was, and who I wanted to be,” Rain wrote.
She continued, “I’ve spent the last week painting, cooking, cleaning, driving, hiking, eating, catching up with friends, and my favorite, spending time with the people I love. Standing here at the end of my week with a clear mind and a very full heart, I say. If you find yourself overthinking, overwhelmed, and just plain stressed? Take a break. Rebuild yourself, find yourself again and I promise you, you will come out better in the end. I love you all and God bless my lovely’s.”
Rain also included the hashtags “Stay Strong” and “Stay Happy.”
It is easy to understand why Rain and the rest of the Brown family would push themselves to work in recent months. The family’s entire life has been moved to the Pacific Northwest, since matriarch Ami Brown could not go back to Alaska after her cancer treatment. Rain has also been frustrated by the family dynamics and has struggled to be seen as an adult.
In the Sept. 9 episode, Rain surprised older sister Snowbird by saying she no longer wants to share a house with Snowbird when they grow up.
“My entire life, people, especially Birdy, have always treated me as this fragile thing that everybody has to take care of,” Rain told the cameras in the episode. “And being the youngest, I’ve always been fighting just to be a person.”
In another scene, Snowbird admitted she understood where Rain was coming from.
“I do have to admit you have grown into a capable young woman. You remind me of me a lot, because there was a time where the brothers wouldn’t let me do anything by myself. And now I’m doing stuff for everybody, so just recognize you are too,” Snowbird told her little sister.
New episodes of Alaskan Bush People air on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery.
Photo credit: Instagram / Rain Brown