Bollywood celebs and their struggle with mental illnesses
The World Mental Health Day recently came to an end, but stigma around mental illnesses continues to prevail. Here's a look at several Bollywood celebrities who have opened up about their battle with depression.
Deepika Padukone overcame a prolonged period of depression, and is leading a successful life today. She opened up about her mental health struggles back in 2015, which came as a shock to many. Padukone spoke about how it’s something even the most successful actress can go through. Post that, she started her own foundation called Live Love Laugh to help those dealing with mental illnesses. Image courtesy: Deepika Padukone | Instagram
Mental health is still stigmatized in Indian society, but stars like Anushka Sharma have made it a point to talk about their mental issues and break the taboo. “I have anxiety. AndI’m treating my anxiety. I’m on medication for my anxiety. Why am I saying this? Because it’s a completely normal thing. It’s a biological problem!," said Sharma. According to the actor, normalising mental health and openly discussing it is the way to tackle it. Image courtesy: Anushka Sharma | Instagram
The pandemic has had quite an impact on our mental health, and Bollywood actress Shruti Hassan has shared this sentiment. Taking to her Instagram profile, she expressed how she felt and addressed the anxiety that the pandemic has induced. Ladies, we can break the stigma around mental health! Image courtesy: Shruti Haasan | Instagram
Shraddha Kapoor opened up about her first experience with anxiety back in 2019. She revealed that she faced anxiety issues for six long years. "You need to embrace anxiety and approach it with lots of love,'' she said in a social media post. It seems like a positive mind can solve every problem. Image courtesy: Shraddha Kapoor | Instagram
Shaheen Bhatt, Alia Bhatt’s elder sister, has been quite vocal about her battle with depression. She even spoke at length about her struggles on TaraSharma’s show. In fact, she confessed that she had attempted to commit suicide at a point. Later, she even published a book on her struggles. Image courtesy: Shaheen Bhatt | Instagram
One of the most established actresses of Bollywood, Manisha Koirala has not only battled cancer and survived, but has also suffered from clinical depression due to marital discordin her life. Koirala opened up about her mental illness on Facebook. However, she overcame it after a point. Image courtesy: Manisha Koirala | Instagram