Depression is not always about looking sad, sometimes, things are more than that. If it comes to defining depression, then there is no exact definition for this mental illness. We are glad that our B-town celebs, time and again, decide to come out in open and speak about it. Amongst them all, is Deepika Padukone, who is herself a survivor and also helping people have a better life with her organisation, The Live Love Laugh Foundation.
It was in 2015 when Deepika Padukone had come out in open about her battle with depression. Deepika had revealed that she was diagnosed with depression in 2014 and how it was her sudden breakdown that had made her mother worry about her. In 2018, Deepika had told PTI that she fears her depression might relapse. And now, again, Deepika Padukone has opened up about her struggle with mental health.
Also Read: Salman Khan Gives It Back To A Troll Who Asks Him Where He Has Hidden His Wife And Daughter In Dubai
On July 20, 2021, Deepika Padukone hosted a session on the social media app, Clubhouse, talking about her struggles with depression. According to the Indian Express, recalling what she had felt at that time, she shared, “It basically started in February 2014... I felt empty, directionless and it just felt life had no meaning or purpose. I couldn’t feel anything physically or emotionally. I just felt this void... I felt this for days, weeks and months until one day my family was here and they were going back home.”
Sharing how her mother, Ujjala Padukone understood that her sudden breakdown was not about any boyfriend, Deepika added, “And when they were packing their bags, I was sitting in their room and suddenly broke down. That’s when my mother realised for the first time that something was different. My cry was different. It wasn’t the usual boyfriend issue or stress at work. She kept asking me is it this or that. I couldn’t pin point one specific reason. It was her experience and presence of mind that she encouraged me to seek help."
Recommended Read: Amrita Rao's Husband, RJ Anmol Introduces Their Son, Veer To Rain With These Three Timeless Things
Continue reading below
Deepika Padukone also shared how her life has now been divided between before mental illness and after it. She said, “Life post mental illness is a ‘before and after’. I had a particular life before depression and I have a very different life after that. I keep saying that there’s not a day that goes by without me thinking about my mental health.”
Deepika also shared how she ensures that her depression doesn’t relapse. She conclued, “To ensure I don’t go back into that space, it’s very important for me to focus on the quality of my sleep, nutrition, hydration, exercise, how do I process stress and my thoughts and mindfulness. These are the things I have to do on daily basis not because they are fancy words or it’s cool to do this but I won’t be able to survive if I don’t do all these things.”
On the work front, Deepika Padukone was last seen in the film, Chhapaak in 2020.
Also Read: Aditya Narayan And Shweta Agarwal Expecting Their First Child, He Hints At Embracing Fatherhood Soon
