Deepika on depression at WEF: ‘I fainted, house help saw me on the floor’

Deepika Padukone is at the World Economic Forum being held at Davos, Switzerland where she discussed mental health with WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday. The actor made her presence felt in a black suit paired with diamond jewellery and revealed how she suffered mental illness when she had least expected it.

Deepika was praised by Dr Tedros for her openness in dealing with the issue. He shared a picture from their chat on Twitter and wrote, “Delighted to discuss #mentalhealth with @deepikapadukone at #wef20. Your openness and vulnerability are helping others to seek help and helping to break down stigma. @WHO look forward to working closely with you. There is no health without mental health. #LetsTalk.” The actor later thanked him for his warmth and generosity.

Responding to her request for helping get mental health included as a part of the sustainable development goals, Dr Tedros assured that the entire UN system would work for that.

Deepika Padukone during her appearance at the WEF, Davos 2020.

Speaking at the WEF 2020, Deepika said she had to lie for a long time when people asked her a simple question like ‘how are you doing?’ and she had to reply ‘good’. She recalled, “Mental illness happened to me when I had least expected it. I was at a professional high, my movies were doing great and I was in an amazing relationship. Everything was going just perfect. One morning when I woke up and I felt all was well, I fainted. Luckily the house help came and saw me on the floor. I was taken to a doctor and I was told it was nothing and probably just some blood pressure fluctuation or something like physical tiredness. Those were the first physical signs. For a long time, I just felt like sleeping, not going out, not meeting people.”

She went on to add, “Luckily, my mother had come to my place and when my parents were packing, I just started crying. She asked me what was it and I had no answer. At that time, my mother told me that I probably needed professional help and that’s how I began consulting a psychiatrist.”

Deepika said she and her family initially didn’t feel like telling everyone and letting media know about it. “After I was diagnosed with a clinical depression regarding my mental health, I had to even lie when someone asked me how was I doing. I would say, I’m great, though I was actually terrible,” she said.

She went on to add, “As I began on my path of recovery, I also understood the stigma attached with the mental health and the need to go public with it. Imagine what would have happened, if my mother had not said that I should a professional help for my problem. I felt that I should do something to help others with their signs and symptoms and that was the reason for going public with my illness and then setting up the Live Love Laugh foundation.”

Stressing on the need to be more aware about mental illness, she said, “Are you feeling sadness and a low for a long period of time? You need to understand sadness is transient and depression is for a long period of time. It is very important to share with somebody around you about how you are feeling. It is also important that the people around you don’t dismiss it as attention-seeking or some small thing. It is important for caregivers to encourage people to seek help.”

She also spoke about how in our country, parents are not comfortable with taking their children for professional help. “At times, it is other way round too when parents want to take, but children do not want to seek medical help or consultation. I want every person experiencing mental illnesses to know that you are not alone – because there are no obvious physical symptoms. You feel like you are the only one going though this, and it comes with a lot of guilt,” she said.

For humanity, she said that people must realise that there are some fundamental things that need to change such as a notion that men are not supposed to have mental illness.