Sisters are one of the biggest support systems of our lives. They will not show you an iota of that emotion but will always be there when you need them the most. We fight with them, nag them, stalk them, complain about them but somewhere in our heart we also know the fact that they are our emotional anchors. They are the shoulders we cry upon when everyone else turns away. (Also Read: Jaya Bachchan's Reaction When Amitabh Bachchan Was Declared 'Clinically Dead' After Coolie Accident)
It will be wrong if we take depression as an illness as every illness has some symptoms whereas depression never shows any signs. It is very difficult to decipher whether a person is undergoing depression, as a person undergoing the same seems very normal and jovial. Recently, celebrities like Manisha Koirala, Deepika Padukone, Varun Dhawan and Ileana D’Cruz have come out in open to talk about their struggle with depression. It was in 2016, when Shaheen Bhatt, daughter of Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan had talked for the first time about her fight with depression in a social media post.
On World Mental Health Day (October 10, 2019), Alia wrote an emotional message for her sister, Shaheen Bhatt. Alia took to her Instagram handle and posted an emotional note for her sister. Alia, who was Shaleen’s constant support throughout her difficult phase has posted a picture of her sister and wrote, "I am so so proud of you @shaheenb And of @herecomesthesunofficial. You have taken something so personal and made it a symbol of strength and empathy. No one needs to be alone as they struggle with mental health, battling their own fears and anxiety. Sometimes all you need to know that you're not alone!!! I'm here a 100%.. to start the conversation, to raise awareness and to join you on this journey, EVERY step of the way @herecomesthesunofficial #WorldMentalHealthDay (sic)."
On World Mental Health Day, Sheheen launched an initiative called Here Comes The Sun. The initiative was launched to help people come out of depression. Talking about her initiative, Shaheen took to her Instagram handle and wrote, "#HereComesTheSun was born from a simple idea. The idea that we are not alone. None of us are alone in our struggles and journeys with mental health - we all have the same fears and we all hope for the same things."
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She further added, "Here comes the sun is a friendly voice reminding you that you aren’t alone, it’s an effort to raise awareness about mental health, to start a conversation, and to help end the taboo and the stigma surrounding it. The first step to all of this is to just say hello our demons. So I’m starting off by saying Hello to my depression and anxiety." (Also Read: Mouni Roy Denies Dating Dubai-Based Banker, Suraj Nambiar But Their Holiday Picture Proves Otherwise)
Shaheen had experienced depression for the first time when she was 12 years old. Talking about that phase, Shaheen wrote, "The first time I felt it, I was twelve and approaching my 13th birthday. I thought that the niggling feelings of unease creeping up on me had to do with the fact that I had recently gained a lot of weight and was being teased for it at school. So, I spent 4 months starving myself and lost all the weight before my 13th birthday rolled around. Surprise surprise: not only did those painful, uneasy feelings stay put, they got worse with every passing day. I spent a lot of time oblivious and unaware that those feelings could be something more. I spent a lot time in denial when I learned they were something more. And then, I spent even more time angry and bitter because depression was the big, scary monster under my bed that was ruining my entire life. But here’s the thing about monsters: they can only live in the dark. If you turn on the light you’ll see that what you thought was a monster, isn’t a monster at all. And the way you turn on the light is by acknowledging it and talking about it."
Fighting depression is a major task as the one fighting it rarely understands what he/she is going through. Talking about how she fought her depression and came out of it, she further wrote, "So, I turned on the light, poked my head under the bed and said Hello to my monster. That simple act has changed how I deal with every bad day that has come since. It didn’t magically fix me - I’m in the midst of a depressive episode as I write this - but at least I no longer spend all my time and energy avoiding the elephant in the room. With my energy refocused I can spend time on what’s important - looking after myself. Now, I just take each day as it comes, secure in the knowledge that there’s nothing hiding under my bed - except maybe one of my cats. #HelloAnxiety #HelloDepression (sic)." (Also Read: Soha Ali Khan Twins With Mother, Sharmila Tagore In A Blue Ensemble At Lotus Fashion Week 2019)
We wish Shaleen a happy and healthy life and all the best for her future goals.
