Bollywood stars who spoke openly about their depression

Depression is still a stigma in the Indian society, which is why it takes a lot of courage to come out in public and speak about your depression, in order to explain your anxiety to people around you. For some Bollywood stars, however, this was an empowering action. From Deepika Padukone to Ileana D’Cruz, many Bollywood actors have ignored the raised eyebrows and spoken freely about the time when they were battling clinical depression, the reasons for the same and how they conquered it. Director-producer Karan Johar also recently opened up about how he spent two dark years fighting depression. Here are some Bollywood stars who fought the blues and spoke publicly about it.

Karan Johar: The director-producer has become the latest Bollywood personality to have opened up about suffering from anxiety and depression. In an interview with Barkha Dutt on NDTV, Karan recalled an incident when he rushed to a doctor for what felt like a heart attack, and came to know that it was actually an anxiety attack. He was immediately put on anti-anxiety medications by his psychologist which he has only stopped taking recently.

Deepika Padukone: DP surprised everyone when she spoke about her depression in an interview and said that she was often asked the question – ‘How can you be depressed? You have everything going for you.’ She explained how mental health should be given equal importance as physical health. After months of counseling and medication, she came out of depression. Deepika has also established a center for mental health to help people fight depression and anxiety.

Honey Singh: Honey Singh reached the peak of his career and then disappeared from the music scene for nearly two years. He came back recently and spoke about how he was having a tough time fighting bipolar disorder and alcoholism. He opened up about his state to his fans when he revealed that those 18 months were the darkest phase of his life, and although he was not in rehab for drug overdose as reported, he was holed up in his Noida house trying to get back on his feet.

Ileana D’Cruz: Ileana too opened up about suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder, anxiety and depression, which she has been dealing with for the last 10-12 years. She confessed about how she would sit in a corner and cry for hours. She spoke about how knowing and accepting your own flaws is the first step in healing. Ileana has been seeing a therapist for a long time now, and says a strong support system is necessary for everyone.

Manisha Koirala: Here’s an actress who has gone through a lot on a personal level. Manisha suffered from acute clinical depression following her bad marriage and health (she battled cancer too). She opened up to the world about her state of mind and asked for suggestions through social media. Manisha is the only actress who connected with fans directly to talk about her depression.

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