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Two weeks after her brother Garrison Brown's death, "Sister Wives" star Maddie Brown Brush is sharing a message about mental health, social media and the impact of his loss.
In a new Instagram video, the "Sister Wives" star spoke to her brother's state before his sudden death on March 5.
“Mental health is so important and I don’t think we talk about it enough and I don’t think we do enough to bring awareness. It wasn’t bullying. It wasn’t a lack of love that Garrison had. It was mental health," she said.
"And I am going to continue talking about mental health and self care until I am blue in the face because I don't think it's talked about enough in a way that people understand it."
Police in Flagstaff, Arizona told NBC News the 25-year-old appeared to have died by suicide.
She addressed this topic in the caption of her post, writing, "I shared with a friend, who has also been intimately touched by the tragedy of suicide, how surreal it feels to step back into the rhythm of 'normal life' — observing others engaged in their everyday routines while my mind remains consumed with thoughts of Garrison. She acknowledged that the shadow of such a loss lingers for months. Though I am not naive to the fact of returning to what once was ‘normal’ wont be happening. I find myself prepared to start getting back into this new normalcy."
Brown Brush said she believes social media negatively impacted her brother.
“Social media is not real ... it’s a highlight reel and that was something that Garrison and I talked a lot about. Garrison used to feel like he wasn’t doing enough because he was comparing himself to things on social media. I don’t think that it’s real and I think we need to remember that," she said, adding that she's "done with filters."
She ended her video by acknowledging the importance of "community" during the grieving process and expressed gratitude for the support of her siblings.
"We're all very strongly opinionated people and we have disagreements on other things. But the way that we can show up for each other and love each other even in this time, even with our differences (is wonderful)," she said.
She also thanked the “outpouring of love” her family has received.
Brown Brush, who has three children, called the first week after he brother’s death “horrible.” She said she spent the following week giving herself the space to grieve during her children’s spring break. This video is her first step back into "normalcy."
Garrison and Maddie Brown Brush are two of Janelle and Kody Brown’s six kids, and were raised in a polygamous family. Their parents announced their separation in December 2022. Three of Kody Brown’s other marriages have also ended.