For the everyday person, relationship breakups can be difficult to bear but add in millions of prying eyes and opinions, a person could easily explode with emotion. Ben Higgins, star of the 20th season of ABC's The Bachelor, released a new book Tuesday, Alone in Plain Sight: Searching for Connection When You're Seen but Not Known.
Higgins detailed in the book how he was able to balance newfound fame and a very public breakup and told Cheddar that writing the book "was therapeutic" and "an emotional journey."
"Recently Justin Bieber came out with a song called Lonely, and I listened to it. I'm not a huge Bieber fan, but I started weeping because it's true for those of us that went on the show, it goes from zero to 100," he said.
For Higgins, dealing with the fame and the range of emotions that came along with strangers' commenting on his relationship was a lot to cope with. He said, though it can be difficult, coming out on the other end of the breakup allows you to appreciate the process of self-discovery.
"The mental toll is difficult. I do think it can make you stronger. I do think there's a way that you can take all the criticism and build a character within yourself that makes you a better person, but when you're in it, it feels really lonely. It feels incredibly isolating. You don't know where to turn," he said.
Higgins said he laid it all out on the line in his new release, even getting approval from his ex-fiancée Lauren Bushnell Lane to dish the details of their split, adding that it was the respectful thing to do to at least allow his ex to review his interpretation of their relationship for publishing.
While public scrutiny comes with the territory for participants on any reality tv show, Higgins said it's important for people to remember that these are real people with real feelings.
"Being on the show and maybe with this book, and being around these people in real life, it feels like my goal is just to let them know that they aren't alone. That we've all been through this and it's been tough for a lot of us," he said.
