Deepika Talks About Her Battle With Depression and The Importance Of Mental Health On Meghan Markle’s Podcast
Deepika Padukone, apart from being an actor, is also a philanthropist and staunch mental health advocate. People love her for her unapologetic honesty. In a country like India where it’s extremely hard to talk about mental health and opening up about suffering from a mental illness takes even more guts, Deepika Padukone has dared to start a very important conversation. She has now become the face and voice of mental health in the country, and beyond.
Deepika Padukone has been openly talking about her battle with depression and anxiety for a while now. She has also attributed the credit for her victory to her mother. She has mentioned the fact that we need to work on the mental health sector and therefore, she has also started The Live Love Laugh Foundation to help and support people who are suffering and battling with mental illnesses. Deepika has recently taken the conversation to a very global space as she was featured on the Spotify-exclusive podcast called Archetypes which is hosted by Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex.
What Did Deepika Padukone Discuss On The Show?
The episode which features her along with the American actress Constance Wu dares to dig deep into the mental health conversation and discusses the importance of taking care of our psychological well-being i.e. our brains as well as our minds. They also discuss how the world needs to learn how to look at and treat mental illnesses just like they would, physiological ailments and diseases. During her conversation with Meghan Markle, Deepika Padukone clearly said, “Mental health is the same way we have physical ailments. Our mind is very much a part of our body. But somehow, when it comes to mental illness, we start treating our minds like outside of our bodies”.
She further discussed the fact that in many parts of the world, including major Asian countries like India, mental health and the conversations surrounding the issue are, unfortunately, still treated as taboo. It’s as if people are ashamed to have these conversations so they don’t even associate with them in hushed tones. This, therefore, ends up taking a major toll on the status of mental health aid and awareness around the world, as a whole. She discussed the importance of crushing this stigma by saying, “There are two parts to this. One is, I think, where people struggle the most, especially in India, where there’s so much stigma attached to mental illness – creating awareness. Most of us don’t even know that we’re struggling with mental illness. And second, if we are to destigmatize it, to let people know that it’s okay to seek help and to let caregivers know that it’s okay for someone to go through this.”
On the Spotify Original podcast, Deepika Padukone also opened up about her journey and battle with mental health. She strongly believes that no matter how difficult navigating mental illness was, she is grateful that she went through that experience because it changed her life forever. She further discussed the fact that most people don’t usually support each other when it comes to matters about mental health but thankfully, Deepika Padukone was lucky enough to find a beautiful support system in her family. While describing the ways they do this every day, she said, “Today it’s all about the little things, like hugging my sister or just late-night conversations with my husband – those are the moments that really fill me up today”.
Deepika Padukone wrapped up the conversation by discussing all the work and efforts that she has put into changing and moulding the mental health space. While discussing this matter she exclaimed, “What is my purpose? It’s about, when I leave this place, when I leave the earth, what is it that I can leave behind? And how many lives can I positively impact? I’ve been on that journey for the last couple of years”.
Also Read: Deepika Padukone Credits Mother Ujjala Padukone For Identifying Her Depression, ‘Don’t Know What State I’d Be In, Today’
After listening to this episode of the Spotify Original podcast, it’s safe to say that it has shot up to the top of my must-listen list. It’s clear that Meghan Markle is trying to create and cultivate a safe space through this podcast, to talk about the things that matter. To be honest, I think she has definitely succeeded.
