Breaking her silence about her depression, actor Deepika Padukone said that had her mother not identified her symptoms, she doesn’t know what state she would have been in today
“It is extremely crucial. Even in my personal journey, the role of the caregiver has been extremely important that’s why my mother is here, that’s why my sister has been so passionately part of this cause for many years, and also therefore when I hear the stories of the caregivers, I understand how equally important that is as well, and the emotional well-being of the caregiver is as important as the emotional well-being of the person experiencing mental illness,” the actor told NDTV.
“In my own case, for example, had my mother and the caregiver not identified my symptoms, in my moment of vulnerability, had she not had the presence of mind to tell me to or help me reach out to the professionals, I don’t know what state I would be in today. Ensuring, I was regular with my treatment, with my consultations with the doctors, and of course, it takes a toll on the caregiver as well and that’s not something new. I think caregivers in general, whether it is mental illness or any other form of illness, it takes a toll on the caregiver.”
Deepika Padukone came out about her mental illness in 2015 and revealed that she battled depression a year before that and sought help. Her foundation, Live Love Laugh aims to help those struggling with their mental health.
“My parents live in Bengaluru and every time they visited me, even now when they visit me, I always put on a brave front, like everything’s okay, you know you always want to show your parents that you’re fine… so I was doing one of those things like I’m fine… until they were leaving one day, they were going back to Bengaluru and I broke down and my mother asked me the usual hygiene questions like… is it a boyfriend? Is it someone at work? Has something happened? And I just didn’t have answers… it was none of these things. And it just came from a really empty, hollow place. And she knew instantly, and I think that for me was God sent,” she told NDTV
