“The worst part of having mental illness is that people behave as if you don’t.” Joker, played by Joaquin Phoenix, was a conversation stirrer for all. It was dark humour with a point of extremities of one can go. On World Mental Health Day, we bring you stories of celebrities who faced these issues.
Everyone around the world observes World Mental Health Day is on 10th October. One reason being awareness and education about it, and the other being for social stigma and acceptance.
Mental health is an integral part of our lives at every stage, and it is related to psychological and emotional well-being. What we feel, why we feel, and act all comes under one roof of understanding yourself first.
Prominence and Power come with their onset of concerns. The ones to experience this first-hand are the celebrities and people in the spotlight. As they are influencers, them talking about this is huge to start the banter!
Bollywood stars who battled depression
Deepika Padukone
The leading actress Deepika Padukone came forward with an interview in 2015. She widely talked about her battle with depression. She also suffers from OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).
It got a great deal of attention from people, and it raised many questions around the topic of mental health. She has healed and helped a lot with a mere conversation.
Honey Singh
Once known as the sensation of rap in India with songs like “Blue eyes”, Honey Singh later suffered from alcoholism and bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a condition that has extreme mood swings.
Though he has had a comeback, the industry is not entirely accepting of him yet.
Parveen Babi
You might know her from movies like “Shaan”, “Amar Akbar Anthony” and mainly in the 1970s. She was talented and steeled the show instantly. She was diagnosed and had treatment for paranoid schizophrenia and suffered a severe case of clinical depression. She left Bollywood, and in the year 2005, she was found dead in her Juhu house.
These are just three examples here. But there are many more that haven’t come out yet. It is just not the case with Bollywood; the Hollywood industry has faced this too.
Hollywood actors battling against mental health issues
Eminem
“Love the way you lie”, “Not afraid”, and many more are some rap songs by none other than the rap god himself. He was being woven into the murder case of his close friend, and an unstable relationship with his ex-wife made it even worse. “The way I am” was his combat with depression.
Chris Evans
You thought Captain America was out of this list? “A red carpet lasts, what, 30 minutes, tops? But that to me is like 30 minutes of walking on hot coals.” Said the actor venting out to his interviewee. He suffered from high functioning anxiety, manifesting into acute depression.
Matthew Perry
Our beloved Chandler Bing from FRIENDS was that one character who turned his trauma of childhood into sarcasm. Sadly, Matthew Perry couldn’t do that, and he suffered severe depression that led to addiction issues. After the end of the show, Matthew spent most of his days in rehab. But now, he is on the path of revival.
There were many others who, in the battle, had lost their lives. Robin Williams from Jumanji or Dead Poets Society, Mac Miller, Avicii will always be in our thoughts.
Stop the stigma
On this day, we urge you to be kinder and more empathetic towards everyone. You never know what they are facing. Start a conversation about it.
Treat your mind like any other part of your body and take care of it. We already are in dark times; we only need to remember to turn the light on for some happiness to slide through our windows.
Let us know your thoughts on this.
