Posted:
Actress Ileana D'Cruz, who suffered
depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder,
says at one point in her life she felt suicidal.
But once she accepted herself, she started
feeling better.
At the 21st World Congress of Mental Health
here on Sunday, Ileana had a tete-a-tete
with Organising Chairman Sunil Mittal on her
struggle with depression and Body
Dysmorphic Disorder. Ileana was also
awarded the Woman of Substance Award
for her efforts towards raising awareness
about mental health, read a statement.
She said: "I was always a very self-conscious
person and was picked on for my body type.
I used to feel low and sad all the time but
didn't know I was suffering from
depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder
till I got help. All I wanted to do was to be
accepted by everyone.
"At one point, I even had suicidal thoughts
and wanted to end things. However, all of it
changed when I accepted myself and what I
was going through. I think that is the first
step towards fighting depression."
The "Barfi!" and "Rustom" actress said
depression is "real" and people shouldn't
shy away from seeking help.
"It is a chemical imbalance in your brain, and
needs to be treated. Don't sit back and think
it will get okay but go get help. Like you
have a sprain and go get yourself checked, if
you have depression, seek help," she said,
urging people to be like Winnie the pooh.
"He wore a crop top, ate his favourite food
all day and loved himself, you can too."
Ileana, whose mother was her biggest pillar
of strength throughout, also said
imperfections are a part of life.
"I am not saying that I had this miraculous
recovery, every day is a process, every day is
a step towards healing yourself and getting
better. You are a human being and are
allowed to be imperfect, and you are
allowed to be flawed. There is a lot of beauty
in your imperfections, in your uniqueness.
"You may look at us actors and think that
'Oh my God, they are so pretty, so perfect'.
But that's not how it is. It takes two hours
to get ready and look like this. Love yourself
for who you are and trust me if you are
happy from within, you are the most
beautiful person and your smile is your best
asset."
She said she decided to open up about her
struggle because "as someone people look
up to, even if I can help a handful of people
cope, it is worth talking about it".
The World Congress was organised by the
World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), a
global alliance of mental health
professionals, national health associations,
NGOs, policy experts and other institutions.
https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/news/ileana-dcruz-one-point-i-even-had-suicidal-thoughts-390678.
depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder,
says at one point in her life she felt suicidal.
But once she accepted herself, she started
feeling better.
At the 21st World Congress of Mental Health
here on Sunday, Ileana had a tete-a-tete
with Organising Chairman Sunil Mittal on her
struggle with depression and Body
Dysmorphic Disorder. Ileana was also
awarded the Woman of Substance Award
for her efforts towards raising awareness
about mental health, read a statement.
She said: "I was always a very self-conscious
person and was picked on for my body type.
I used to feel low and sad all the time but
didn't know I was suffering from
depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder
till I got help. All I wanted to do was to be
accepted by everyone.
"At one point, I even had suicidal thoughts
and wanted to end things. However, all of it
changed when I accepted myself and what I
was going through. I think that is the first
step towards fighting depression."
The "Barfi!" and "Rustom" actress said
depression is "real" and people shouldn't
shy away from seeking help.
"It is a chemical imbalance in your brain, and
needs to be treated. Don't sit back and think
it will get okay but go get help. Like you
have a sprain and go get yourself checked, if
you have depression, seek help," she said,
urging people to be like Winnie the pooh.
"He wore a crop top, ate his favourite food
all day and loved himself, you can too."
Ileana, whose mother was her biggest pillar
of strength throughout, also said
imperfections are a part of life.
"I am not saying that I had this miraculous
recovery, every day is a process, every day is
a step towards healing yourself and getting
better. You are a human being and are
allowed to be imperfect, and you are
allowed to be flawed. There is a lot of beauty
in your imperfections, in your uniqueness.
"You may look at us actors and think that
'Oh my God, they are so pretty, so perfect'.
But that's not how it is. It takes two hours
to get ready and look like this. Love yourself
for who you are and trust me if you are
happy from within, you are the most
beautiful person and your smile is your best
asset."
She said she decided to open up about her
struggle because "as someone people look
up to, even if I can help a handful of people
cope, it is worth talking about it".
The World Congress was organised by the
World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), a
global alliance of mental health
professionals, national health associations,
NGOs, policy experts and other institutions.
https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/news/ileana-dcruz-one-point-i-even-had-suicidal-thoughts-390678.
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