Actor Imran Khan, known for his roles in hit rom-com movies, opened up about his unexpected struggle with anxiety and depression.
Khan revealed that the problem began when he frequently started to wake up in the middle of the night without knowing the reason behind it. “I didn’t consider seeking help then,” Khan admits.
Moreover, he was forced to seek guidance from a mental health expert due to the anxiety he was facing consistently.
Last seen in Katti Batti (2015), Khan took a break from acting to focus on his mental health. He recalls that a decade ago, discussing mental health was still taboo. “People, in general, didn’t have an attitude of acceptance. Today’s generation has embraced the idea of mental health care. Their sympathy is mind-blowing,” Khan says, adding that conversations about therapy are now more open and supportive, compared to the judgment that used to prevail.
Khan feels lucky, especially because no one in his close circle has ever stigmatized his journey with mental health. “My mother is a practising psychoanalyst, so I had a very clear perspective about mental health. More than being diagnosed with depression, I voluntarily sought analysis,” he reveals.
Khan concluded, “Happiness is a strange word… the question is, do you feel like getting out of bed in the morning and doing stuff?” He concludes that while not always happy, he is in a much healthier emotional and psychological state now.