It's empowering to share your journey: Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone has always spoken upfront about depression and has never shied away about telling people that it was difficult for her to battle it. Deepika believes that sharing one’s journey can relieve the one from the ongoing stress.

The actress has set many examples, and opening up about depression is one of them. At the time when people restrained themselves from talking about their mental state, Deepika was one of the first top actors to open up about her vulnerability leaving us all stunned, worried and in awe of her at the same time.

At an event about mental awareness in the capital city, she talked about the struggle she faced when she was suffering from depression. She said, “I never thought about what people are going to think of me, will I be offered films or whether it will affect my popularity.”

She has foundations that helps create awareness from mental health. “With the help of the foundation, we want to change the narrative around mental health in India. Why only Bollywood? We want everybody in influential positions in the country to speak out about these issues,” said Deepika.

Deepika added, “Now that you’re asking me, maybe I should have since I just delivered a 300-crore hit (Padmaavat). But no, I never thought about what people will think of me, or how it would affect my work or if I would be offered any films. None of these thoughts ever crossed my mind.”

“I was only thinking about how I felt about the issue: There was a lot of stigma attached to it. I thought if I could save even one life by sharing my story, everything I set out to do would make sense. And today, when I see the kind of impact we’ve had in the lives of thousands of people, it is very gratifying,” added the actor.

“Considering how deep-rooted this issue is, in terms of the stigma attached to it, the reluctance to seek help, or people’s perception towards those with mental illness, we still have a long way to go. India needs to focus on encouraging people to seek help,” she further explained.

Deepika believes that sharing one’s journey can relieve the one from the ongoing stress. She said, “I think it eventually boils down to each person’s comfort level, how comfortable or confident they are about sharing their experience. I can say that it is extremely empowering once you share your journey, you kind of feel a weight off your shoulders, I mean that’s my personal experience.”