Imran Khan, who has been away from the limelight for years now, recently opened up about his struggles with mental health. The Delhi Belly actor revealed he suffered from anxiety and depression. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Imran mentioned about how he started waking up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. He confessed, “I didn't consider seeking help then.” However, around 2016, it developed into a pattern, and then, he decided to seek professional advice. “It's been eight years since I started going for analysis sessions,” says Imran.
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When asked if he felt happier now, Imran said, “Happiness is a strange word because you cannot always be happy. Rather, the question is, do you feel like getting out of bed in the morning and doing stuff? If not, you are in a state of actual collapse. In that way, I am in a place that is healthier. Since my early 20s, I had not been in a healthy space, emotionally or psychologically.”
The actor, who battled depression in 2016, also recalled how mental health was a taboo previously. He says, “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. If someone says, ‘I was not feeling great, I went through analysis,' others will encourage them to talk more about it, rather than being judgmental”.
However, Imran considers himself lucky that the people around him never attached any stigma to the issue. “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.”
