Love Is Blind's Jackie shares why she had a "mental breakdown" in Mexico
One of Love Is Blind's contestants, Jackelina Bonds, has spoken out about the mental health implications of being in the show, which sees contestants spend several weeks away from their normal lives – especially when caring for loved ones at the same time.
During Jackie's 'honeymoon' trip to Mexico with Marshall Glaze, there was a scene that was particularly heartbreaking to watch, as viewers saw Jackie break down in tears in their hotel room, saying she was struggling being away from "her people" and home life. Watching Marshall comfort her was very moving for a lot of viewers, some of whom have questioned on social media what caused Jackie's self-described 'mental breakdown'.
Now, she's spoken out at length about what exactly cause her to feel so distressed, and shared publicly that very sadly, her father had been diagnosed with cancer prior to her appearance on LIB.
Posting about her recent interview with Entertainment Weekly on Instagram, the dental assistant said, "Making sure my family is good before I’m good. My father at the time was fighting Stage 2 Head and Neck Cancer, had a feeding tube in his stomach, had the back of his tongue removed and had 11 cancerous lymph nodes removed from his neck a few months before I filmed the show."
Jackie continued on to explain that she is supporting her family financially too, "I come home every weekend to make sure I pay his bills, clean the house, and make sure my father and mother are good. I felt guilty being happy and enjoying my time in Mexico because my family deserves time away. My 'mental breakdown' in Mexico was all the emotions of being head of the house, having my family depending on me and having the weight of my emotions and feelings all colliding at once.
"I will always take care of my father, cancer will never take him from me. ❤️"
Plenty of Jackie's followers were quick to praise her for openly discussing her challenges, echoing how difficult it can be balancing such a tough life event with work and taking a break from it all, which can sometimes leave us feeling guilty (we're all familiar with the expression 'you can't pour from an empty glass' and the concept of needing time out for self-care in order to best care for others... but putting that into practice can be much easier said than done).
"Anyone who has ever been in a situation even remotely close to this, knew what it was about! My first guess was 'she's carrying some heavy sh*t at home and feeling guilty and undeserving that she got to put it down for a little bit'," wrote one social media user in response to Jackie's post. "I'm glad you got some time away and a break from reality, it's truly the only way to be able to keep moving forward."
Another added, "We all have our moments and should be able to express our emotions. You deserve time away and to enjoy yourself as well. ❤️" And a third wrote, "Thank you for being so vulnerable. Sometimes the weight of everything falls on you all at once. You were in such a hard spot with so many emotions coming from so many directions. You are so strong."
We're sending all our love to Jackelina and her family, and praise her for speaking so candidly about the need for self-care whilst caring – and how that can raise a whole set of complex emotions in the process.
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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