World Mental Health Day: From Deepika Padukone to Anushka Sharma, celebs who have been vocal about their struggles

Mental health has always been a tricky subject to discuss. While we have come a long way from once believing that mental illness was caused by supernatural forces, back in 400 BC, to now, starting to hold health discussions around it, there is still a long road ahead. To raise awareness, do away with the stigma around mental health problems and recognise the need for education and acceptance, World Mental Health Day is observed every year on October 10th.?

The recent conversation around mental health worldwide has prompted several Bollywood celebrities to have an open discussion regarding their issues and struggles with mental health. Here are 7 celebrities who have gone on record to share their mental health issues in order to de-stigmatise the topic and shed light on the importance of awareness about it.

World Mental Health Day: Bollywood celebs who have opened up about their mental health struggles

1) Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone became the face of healthy discussions on mental health and struggles around it in India after she revealed that she suffered from depression. She shared how at the peak of her career she realised something was very wrong. Even after achieving huge success in her career, she shared how she woke up "empty and directionless" and found herself "lost and unhappy".?

After seeking professional help and coming out of her depressive state, Deepika Padukone went on to start the The Live Laugh Love Foundation to raise awareness about mental health struggles so no one has to suffer through them silently.

2) Shah Rukh Khan

In an interview, Shah Rukh shared that he is a workaholic and how he gets restless when he is not able to work. This revelation came after he shared that a shoulder injury in 2010 led him to a depressive phase in his life. He mentioned that the injury itself and the pain associated with it led him to the dark phase but he came out of it and is now content and has more energy.

3) Anushka Sharma

During an interview with Vogue India, back in January 2015, Anushka Sharma opened up about her mental health struggles and revealed that she deals with anxiety. She said, "I have anxiety. And I’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."

Anushka is one of those very few actresses who has maintained her privacy even as a person in the public eye. But she shared something personal relating to her health only to emphasise that mental health struggles or mental illness is nothing to be ashamed about and it is equally important to seek medical help about mental health as is physical.

4) Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt has gone through a lot during his lifetime. From overcoming substance abuse and drug addiction following the demise of his mother to losing his first wife to cancer, same as his mom. Not only this but the suspicions of his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blast and subsequent imprisonment in an arms case led the star to deal with depression.

Recently Sanjay shared how he went through a dark time following his own cancer diagnosis in 2020. He revealed he cried for hours thinking about his second wife and young children in light of his illness, but he decided to fight and not be weak and worked his way through rounds of radiation and chemotherapy.?

5) Ileana D'Cruz??

During an interview actress?Ileana D'Cruz shared how she struggles with body?dysmorphia and has been having issues with her body image. She revealed that having insecurities is completely normal and as an actress, it is even more important to move forward with your goals and pursue your dreams. Even after welcoming her son, she mentioned how she has not 'bounced back' to how she looked before but she is trying to be 'kinder' to herself.

6) Hrithik Roshan

During a candid conversation, Hrithik Roshan revealed how he too has struggled with periods of sadness and depression. Sharing his feelings on perplexity, Hrithik mentioned that everybody goes through ups and downs in their life but if the feelings persist, he encouraged one to seek medical help from professionals. Talking about the need to de-stigmatise mental illness he said it is important to talk about it.

7)?Honey Singh

Recently musician Honey Singh revealed how he took a break from his career owing to mental health struggles. He spoke about suffering from bipolar disorder, a mental condition where a person goes through periods of depression and elevated mood. Talking about his disappearance at the peak of his career, he shared how industry stalwarts like Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone supported him through the dark time and also revealed that his condition was worsened because of his alcoholism.?

Many more Bollywood celebrities have shared their personal struggles with mental health in order to de-stigmatise mental illness and raise awareness about seeking treatment. Several B-town A-listers have also participated in campaigns to encourage people to seek therapy from professionals in order to deal with their issues and to make mental health treatment more accessible to the masses.

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