On World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated on October 10, several people open up about their mental health journeys and talk about such issues to spread awareness about mental illnesses in an attempt to eradicate the stigma around it.
This year on World Mental Health Day, Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan took to Instagram to post a video wherein she disclosed that she is suffering from depression. According to a report by Hindustan Times, she revealed that she is clinically depressed and has been battling with the mental illness for the past 4 years now.
“Hi, I’m depressed. I have been for more than four years now. I’ve been to a doctor and I’m clinically depressed. I’m doing much better now. For over a year now, I wanted to do something for mental health, but I wasn’t sure what to do. So, I have decided to take you on a journey, my journey, and see what happens. Hopefully, we will get to know ourselves slightly better, understand mental illness better,” she said on the video.
On the caption, she wrote about how it’s difficult talking about mental illness in one go but urged people to start a conversation.
“A lot has been going on, a lot of people have a lot to say. Things are really confusing and stressful and simple and okay but not okay and…life altogether. There’s no way to say it all in one go. But I’d like to think I’ve figured some stuff out, or at least figured out how to make it slightly more understandable. About mental health and mental ill-health. So come with me on this journey… in my awkward, quirky, sometimes-baby-voice-y, as-honest-as-I-can-be… way. Let’s start a conversation. Happy World Mental Health Day.”
She ended the video by asking, “What do I have to be depressed about? Who am I to be depressed? I have everything, right?”, making it seem like another video is on its way.
Have a look at the video here:
According to Times Now, several people took to the comment section to shower love and support to Ira. Her cousin Zayn Marie called her a “brave girl”.
The more people come out with their stories, the more will such conversations become normalised and the stigma surrounding mental illnesses will reduce. Kudos to Ira Khan for coming out with her story!