The "Vanderpump Rules" star says there were times during the Scandoval when he "felt very, very close" to committing suicide.

Tom makes the sobering revelation Thursday in the first episode of his podcast, "Everybody Loves Tom," and says the backlash from the affair put him in a bad headspace that had a domino effect that brought him to the brink of suicide.

Following Scandoval, Tom says his world started collapsing and he couldn't see outside his feelings. He says things reached a head one day when he got back to the home he shares with his ex, Ariana Madix.

Tom also recalls a story about running into late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington a few days before he committed suicide in July 2017 ... with Tom saying he never understood how Chester could be in that frame of mind until he found himself in the middle of the Scandoval.

Thankfully, Tom says he had a few friends who were there for him despite all the drama ... and he's giving them props for basically saving his life.

Remember ... Rachel also dealt with mental health issues over the bombshell affair, spending a few months in a mental health facility.

Rachel ended up quitting 'VPR' but Tom was back filming the most recent season ... and it will be interesting to see if he talked about his suicidal thoughts on camera or if he just saved it for his podcast.