Ever since the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic hit us, a majority of people have really understood the importance of mental health. Even actors, who have a large following, have opened up about suffering from conditions like depression, anxiety, and body image issues. And now, Alia Bhatt has opened up as well.
Being a part of the entertainment industry is tough. With being under the spotlight 24×7 and having people place a lot of importance on how you look, dress, and behave, it is only natural for actors to develop issues pertaining to self-esteem, confidence, body image, etc. And it’s the same with Alia Bhatt.
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In an interview with journalist Barkha Dutt, Alia opened up about having body-image issues and going for therapy once every week. She claimed that people would notice that she’s “obsessed” about her appearance and her weight.
“That’s a struggle that’s been constant. Everyone around me would see it, but I would not see it.”
According to The Indian Express, Alia sees therapy as maintaining hygiene – just like one takes care of their body, one must take care of their mind.
“When I started therapy, I did it just as a hygiene thing. To take care of my body, I go to the gym; I need to take care of my mind as well. It’s something I started amidst the lockdown when everybody was going through a hard time, and I thought that maybe this would be a good time to start. It started as a generic thing, but what I discovered through those sessions is that I have so many issues when it comes to… I always knew I was anal when it comes to my weight, because I’m facing the camera.”
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Being a part of the social media culture where everyone must post ‘Instagrammable’ pictures, she revealed that she was being too hard on herself. Being a public figure, she kept on ticking boxes. But then she paused, took a few steps back, and retrospected.
“How I dealt with it? I’ll be honest, sometimes I would just tell myself, ‘It’s all fine, you have to do this because you have to look good’. I would convince myself that this is something I have to do, but I realised over time that I don’t have to do this.”
She further wants young girls to take their mental health seriously, since because of the Instagram culture, many feel the pressure to live a picture-perfect life, reported Outlook.
We wish Alia strength!