How many of us have suffered from anxiety? Either stemming from reasons known to us or perhaps simply unknown–both ways, it’s more common than you think. Some people just have to deal with a higher grade of the issue. Then you come across a celebrity and think, god must’ve been kind to them in that department! What anxiety could they possibly have? Wrong. Shraddha Kapoor is giving testament to the fact that even A-list Bollywood insiders can be dealing with the same ordeal. Probably worse with the flashing paparazzi cameras in their face all the time.
Riding high on the success of two back-to-back hits, Saaho and Chhichhore, the 32-year-old spoke to an entertainment portal about the struggles of dealing with a crippling form of anxiety. Right after the release of her first film, Aashiqui 2, back in 2013, she began ‘experiencing pain’ which did not have any ‘physiological diagnosis’. She states, “I didn’t even know what anxiety was. We didn’t know it for a very long time. It just after Aashiqui, where I had these physical manifestations of anxiety. There’s this pain happening where there was no physiological diagnosis. We got so many tests done but there was nothing wrong with me in the doctor’s report. It’s bizarre because I kept thinking why I was getting that pain. Then I kept asking myself why that is happening.”
She had some real advice to give…
“Today, it’s something that I still deal with but it has become so much better than what it was. Also, somewhere you have to embrace it. You have to accept it as part of yourself and approach it with a lot of love. That made a big difference. Whether you have anxiety or not, you always need to understand who you are or what you stand for,” Shraddha was quoted saying.
The reality of mental health in India
A study conducted by the World Health Organization for the National Care of Medical Health states that at least 6.5% of the Indian population suffers from some serious form of mental disorder. Yet, do we wanna talk about it? NO. It’s great to see celebrities like Shraddha, Alia, and Deepika use their influence to make a positive difference in the world.
Anxiety is something that has become an occupational hazard of living an urban life. Even if you’ve been sheltered from it, others in your life might not be as lucky. Help them because they might have no idea what it is they are dealing with or even how to deal with it.
Depending on whether someone is experiencing anxiety sporadically or regularly, there are combinations of treatments and therapy that can be used. Seeing a doctor is always a good idea just in case one wants to be sure of the diagnosis. It isn’t something that cannot be systematically dealt with. It’s important to analyse the root cause to manage it better.
