Deepika Padukone Recalls Having Suicidal Thoughts: “I Was Struggling…”
New Delhi:
Deepika Padukone recently appeared on the latest episode of Pariksha Pe Charcha, an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise awareness about mental health. During the episode, the actress opened up about her personal battle with depression and shared how she overcame it.
She revealed that for a long time, she silently struggled while living in Mumbai, and it was her mother who first noticed that something was wrong. Deepika recalled having suicidal thoughts and even contemplating ending her life.
She explained, “I transitioned from school to sports, then modeling, and eventually acting. I kept pushing myself until, in 2014, I suddenly fainted. It was only later that I realised I was struggling with depression. The thing about depression is that it’s invisible – you can’t always see it. There might be people around us battling anxiety or depression, yet we may never know because, on the outside, they seem happy and normal.”
Reflecting on her difficult journey, Deepika shared that her mother was the first person to recognise the signs of depression and advised her to see a psychologist.
“When my mother came to see me in Mumbai, on the day she was leaving for Bangalore, I suddenly broke down. My family asked me all sorts of questions about my work, but all I could say was, ‘I don’t know. I just feel helpless and hopeless. Mujhe jeena hi nahi hai (I don’t want to live).’ Thankfully, my mother recognized the signs and suggested I see a psychologist. In our country, mental health carries a stigma, making it difficult to talk about. But as soon as I started speaking about it, I felt lighter. Anxiety, stress, and depression can affect anyone, and talking about it truly eases the burden,” she added.
Deepika Padukone and her husband Ranveer Singh welcomed their first child, a daughter, in September last year. They have named her Dua.
On the work front, Deepika has had a busy few years, with films like Pathaan, Jawan, Fighter, Kalki 2898 AD and Singham Again. The actress is currently on a maternity break. After which, she is expected to start filming for Kalki 2 alongside Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan.
