The south diva Shruti Haasan has often talked about the need to look after mental health, particularly in the time of the pandemic. Emphasizing on the need for professional guidance in such cases.
"I see that as the whole problem because of how the fam jam scene is in India. It's like 'you have your cousins, your friends, why can't you talk to me?' I understand the sentiment but when it comes to mental health, the worst attitude you can have is 'chin up' or 'I am fine'," she reveals.
The Luck star also highlights that numerous people are not even aware of the help they need.
"The cracks start happening and usually I see people have what I call 'mild breakdowns'. Usually, people don't even realise what they are going through," she tells.
"The feeling of inadequacy can be so overwhelming and, mind you, I was a psychology student and dropped out but continued studying psychology. I have friends who have therapists. I have been in therapy when I was younger and still when it comes to managing my emotions and sensitivity, in an industry that is very heightened in every sense - be it stress or creativity - I felt inadequate on many days," the Hey Ram star points out.
The Gabbar Singh actress tells that her life changed when she acknowledged the need to seek help.
"I must say that I have always spoken about mental health. This is something that when I acknowledged, my life changed. Acknowledging things about myself and getting the help I needed without feeling imperfect, inadequate or judged. Mostly, there is society's judgement and stigma around. But when the pandemic hit, everyone started talking about it because it had to be discussed. People were feeling a sense of loss -- loss of financial security, love and control," she says.
The actress sees a positive change all around now.
"I believe people world over are a lot more aware and, especially in India, people are a lot more speaking about it. I genuinely believe that mental health awareness has come to the forefront. There are so many avenues for people to understand that you can get help online because of the distance. People know how to use technology - be it through zoom calls or skype calls. I was always doing therapy long distance because my therapist was based out of London. So, I always knew that it is possible once you have made that initial connection," says the actress.
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