Mychal Threets is out of the hospital and giving fans a mental health update on after seeking psychiatric support.
“I just wanted to apologize for worrying so many people,” the Reading Rainbow host said in a video he posted to Threads on Saturday. “I just got back from a five-day stay at the hospital, a five-day psychiatric hold. I haven’t been OK for what feels like a very, very long time. I am not OK, but I have hope I will get to OK. I am on the struggle bookmobile.”
He continued: “It’s gonna take a long time for me to be OK. It’s going to take a long time, but I just wanted to say thank you to the multitude of doctors, nurses, and mental health workers I saw. It’s not enough but thank you. You saved my life. Thank you to my family and friends. Thank you to you.”
“3-6-9, it’s OK to not be fine,” Threets said in the video, echoing a refrain from several of his social media posts. “We’re struggling. We’re human beings. We’re doing our best. Thank you for being you. Thank you for staying. Maybe I’ll see you at the library. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”
Commenters sent support to the book buff. “You are the sweetest soul and so deeply loved by all of us book and library people,” one person wrote. “Sending only the best and healing thoughts.”
Another wrote, “No apologies, Mychal. We love you.”
A third person commented, “Please take care of yourself. Don’t worry about anything/anyone else. You are loved and appreciated. Remember depression and anxiety lie. Thank you for staying. I love you.”
Threets, who has been open about his mental health and his struggles with his online fame, shared with Threads followers last week that he was seeking treatment.
“I am not OK, he said at the time. “Maybe I’ll never be OK. I’m seeking help. Going to the hospital tomorrow. In this moment I am safe. By God’s grace. No matter what happens to me I will always be thankful for the extraordinary people in my life who worry, who help me. Thank you for your care. I will always love you.”
The librarian’s viral social media posts about literature got him the job of hosting a YouTube version of Reading Rainbow last year.
“I’m still a very introverted person,” he told People this January. “I think because of what’s happened in life, I’ve become more extroverted. I’ve been more comfortable talking about the library, talking about library stories, talking about mental health, just because I love it all. But had I known all this was going to happen, I probably would’ve never started posting.”
But Threets explained to the magazine that his platform was also a privilege. “I still have hard days and I’d much rather be behind the scenes,” he said. “But for a chance to amplify libraries, amplify people’s stories — essentially, I serve almost as a narrator of library joy, and I’m honored to do it.”
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741 or contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264). If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.