THIS TOO SHALL PASS -Rimjhim Sayana

Do you think ‘I can’t do it.’ ‘I’ll never be able to make it.’ Remember, there were many who thought the same way…but they survived. I want you to know that, if they can survive, then so can you. There are many who struggled with mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, panic attacks… There are thousands of inspiring stories out there, today, I’ll highlight some celebrities who secretly struggled. Their stories might stay with you…I’m not asking for you to be inspired by these and wish for everything to change overnight, I know that’s not how it works. I’m asking you to just remember their stories whenever you feel like you may not make it…

 

Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone has opened up about her mental health issues. She was suffering from clinical depression. She shared her story about how it all started with her waking up one morning, feeling empty. She said, “Where you know, I had won all my awards and you know all the appreciation for 2013, everything had happened and it was a great time and obviously at once one’s going to think like why is she depressed, she has everything going for her. But, I woke up one morning just feeling empty you know like this pittish feeling in my stomach that I was telling them that I get this pittish feeling in my stomach. I woke up like feeling directionless, I didn’t know where to go, I didn’t know what to do and I had these bouts of feeling so low that I would just start crying.”

Since then, Deepika has come a long way. She has been very vocal about depression and other mental illnesses as she doesn’t want others to suffer. She battled her depression and even started a mental health foundation called ‘Live Love Laugh’ with the focus being depression.

 

 

Lilly Singh

Youtuber IISuperwomanII aka Lilly Singh’s career started because this was her way of battling depression. While talking about how people don’t discuss mental illnesses, she said “I don t get why because it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s nothing to be ashamed about. It’s a part of life – the ups-and-downs – and I really wanted people to start talking about it so I thought I’m going to lead by example. I’m going to openly talk about it.” Many people reached out to her with their own stories and admit that they were able to get help because of her. Like her, they were struggling too. Truly, she is a Bawse.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfTV3UV_WlY

 

Many more YouTubers have opened up about their battles…

Daniel James Howell

“I thought I should share this now because it’s a big part of my story I think people should know and understand, and I want other people going through mental health issues to know that they can talk about it and it can get better. Which for me, it has.” This year, Dan Howell opened up about his battle with depression. He reveals that he never talked about it earlier as he felt that he still was going through it. He explained what depression was like to him and encouraged people to open up about their disorders. “I kept going through it until one day, only a few years ago, I thought ‘I cannot deal with it. This is holding me back in life, this is not how I’m supposed to be and I want to overcome it.” He requested them to seek help and ended the video with: “So, here I am, sharing the story with you with no shame, ‘cause, hey, if I can let strangers on the internet pick apart and consume my life like a candy floss made of black clothes and self-depreciation, you can do it too.” For his efforts to create awareness and for opening up and encouraging others to speak up, Young Minds UK made Dan Howell one of their Ambassadors.

 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp2TUPo5W0c

 

Zoella

YouTuber, Zoella has opened up about her anxiety and panic attacks. She explained what it was like by saying “I go through phases where my anxiety isn’t as bad and when it’s pretty awful. When it’s good, I’ll be able to leave the house, go shopping, visit other countries for work, do meet and greets and generally live life like a ‘normal person’. When it’s bad, I can’t even leave my bed or I’ll start my day off by opening my eyes and having a panic attack.”

Link to her video about panic attacks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-iNOFD27G4

 

Robin Williams

The Peter Pan, the genie from Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire and the amazing teacher from ‘dead poet’s society’ and so much more. Robin William was the man that brought a smile to your face every time you met him. He was struggling with depression. A Tumblr post amazingly captured his struggles. It was one of the most helpful and insightful post about suicide/depression. It said “If someone were to die at the age of 63 after a lifelong battle with MS or Sickle Cell, we’d all say they were a “fighter” or an “inspiration”. But when someone dies after a lifelong battle with severe mental illness and drug addiction, we say it was a tragedy and tell everyone “don’t be like him, please seek help.”” They continue with the fact that Robin Williams sought help his entire life. He saw a psychiatrist, quit drinking, went into rehab. He did all this for decades. The writer says that this was how Robin Williams made it to 63 and that for many people, staying alive till 63 is a miracle and that he/she knew many people who didn’t make it past 23 and how they’d do anything to have 40 more years with them….

 

There are so many more people who fought their battles.

• Carrie Fisher, princess Leia, had Bi-Polar Disorder.
• Winona Ryder suffered from depression.
• Pete Wentz, member of the Fall Out Boy was diagnosed with maniac depression
• Lady Gaga had her very own battled with mental illness and she has been very supportive and vocal about mental illnesses.
• YouTuber, Louise Pentland aka Sprinkleofgliiter had depression
• J. K. Rowling, the amazing author of the Harry Potter series was suicidal and depressed and writing helped her overcome it.
• Anushka Sharma suffered from anxiety
• Hrithik Roshan suffered from depression.
• Even the amazing painter Vincent van Gogh suffered from Bipolar Disorder.

These are just a few of them. All these stories are equally amazing. If you suffer from any illness, remember, your story is no different than theirs. They overcame it and so can you.

 

“I couldn’t do it alone. Once I acknowledged this I told people I trusted about it and that I wanted to work to get better. And just being able to tell someone…can make all the difference.” -Daniel Howell

Please, confide in whoever you trust, try! You can do it! Whenever you think you can’t, remember, that you have been doing it for your whole life! You can and will survive. This too shall pass.

 

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