Matt James' tweet about searching for a therapist -- whether in jest or not -- is not being taken lightly by "The Bachelor" fans ... but we're told the help is there for him from the network if he seeks it.
If you missed it, Matt fired off a tweet Tuesday suggesting he's seeking therapy ... the day after the emotional finale of "The Bachelor" and the revelation on "After the Final Rose" that he broke it off with his final pick, Rachael Kirkconnell, due to her allegedly racist past.
Production sources tell TMZ ... the tweet set off alarm bells ... despite not knowing if Matt's being serious or just adding some levity to his situation.
Either way, we're told the show makes the mental health of its cast a priority and offers therapists and counseling both during production and years after filming is over.
Our sources say production makes this well-known to 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' participants ... and has for years.
So, we're told if Matt truly wants help ... the network is there for him.
As we reported ... Matt opened up about how difficult the 'Final Rose' episode was for him, and said his experience was compounded by all of the racial strife in the country the past year.
Rachael also expressed her disappointment with what went down this past season, but insisted she thought Matt was the "love of my life."