The topic of mental health and psychological disorders is still a taboo in our country. Even though during the onset of the pandemic, a good number of people began spreading awareness about mental health and therapy, we still have a long way to go. However, when celebrities or influential people talk about mental health and their experiences battling depression, anxiety, etc. it helps in making the subject less of a taboo.
Bollywood rapper Badshah opened up about battling mental health issues like clinical depression and anxiety. According to Hindustan Times, he revealed that as an artist and a public figure, there’s immense pressure on him which takes a toll on him mentally.
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“The priority of my life is mental health. Mental peace is a luxury for me, because of the pressure we feel every day. I have been through the darkest of times. When it comes to my mental health, I have been through clinical depression, and I have been through a severe anxiety disorder. So, I know I do not want to go there (again). And, to avoid that, you have to be selfish in a good way.”
He further added that one has to live with people who make them happy and learn to organize their lives better.
“You have to live with people who make you happy, you have to learn to say no. You have to learn to say yes, you have to be happy, we live under a lot of pressure. We have made our own lives messy and then we complain we are not mentally fit. You need to organise things, keep your loved ones near you and that is it.”
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Badshah further opened up about dealing with bodyweight issues and suffering from sleep apnea and low stamina because of it. He revealed that on stage, he would start panting after 15 minutes and that needed to change if he had to survive as a performer.
“Now it is all about staying healthy. I had many reasons for losing weight. We did no shows during the lockdown. And, then the shows opened up suddenly. When I went up on the stage, I realised I do not have the stamina. My work requires me to be active for 120 minutes or so when performing on the stage. I did not have the stamina, I started panting in just 15 minutes. As a performer, I have to give my best. That was a major reason.”
For those who do not know, sleep apnea is a disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts when a person is sleeping. It is more common in men and is often caused because of obesity. Badshah says he suffered from it and hence, had another reason to lose weight.
“Another reason was that I suffered from sleep apnea. That got more intense with time, and it is dangerous. I had the problem, now it is not there.”
We hope Badshah’s story helps people to recognize the problematic areas in their lives and rectify them accordingly.