Rukshmanii Kumari of the Congress joined the social media conversation on mental health this Monday when she revealed that she has battled depression and anxiety disorder. The topic of mental health gained attention after the tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput on Sunday. Mr Rajput, 34, was found dead in his Mumbai home. Police say he died by suicide. According to news agency PTI, no suicide note was found and an investigation in the case is ongoing.
In a post shared on Twitter last night, Rukshmanii Kumari, President All India Professionals Congress in Rajasthan, said that she had survived depression and anxiety disorder and they do not define who she is as a person.
"This is the face of a person who has survived #Depression and #AnxietyDisorder," she wrote while sharing a picture of herself. "These do not define me. Amongst the many roles I play in life, I am a businesswoman, I am also an active politician."
Ms Kumari, 40, added that mental illnesses should not be seen as weaknesses of character - a point that has been reiterated again and again on social media as the conversation around mental health was reignited.
"Depression and anxiety are disorders, not weakness of character. I am not ashamed," Rukshmanii Kumari wrote.
This is the face of a person who has survived #depression and #AnxietyDisorder. These do not define me. Amongst the many roles I play in life, I am a business woman,I am also an active politician. Depression and anxiety are disorders, not weakness of character. I am not ashamed. pic.twitter.com/err62oGXAM
— Rukshmanii kumari (@KumariRukshmani) June 15, 2020
In the comments section, many thanked the politician for opening up about her experience with mental health issues, saying that it would also encourage others to speak up about a topic long considered taboo.
Ms Kumari borrowed her words from IRS officer Shubhrata Prakash, who shared a similar message while talking about her own struggle with depression and anxiety disorder. "Amongst the many roles I play in life, I am also an IRS officer, who works at NITI Aayog. Depression and anxiety are disorders, not weakness of character," Ms Prakash wrote in a tweet shared on Monday.
After Sushant Singh Rajput's death, several celebrities have come forward to talk about their own experiences of battling mental health issues.
Milind Deora of the Congress revealed in a tweet Sunday that he had experienced "suicidal thoughts" while sharing coping tools he found effective.
My own experience with suicidal thoughts, first as a teen & even as an MP, taught me to live with the blues. Sharing 5 effective coping tools... pic.twitter.com/yMiVfAgC9U
— Milind Deora मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) June 14, 2020
"I first encountered suicidal thoughts and felt helpless around the age of 16-17. It was terrifying because nobody understood what was wrong with me," Mr Deora told NDTV.
"The second wave hit me in 2006-2007 when I was an MP. I spent both those years suffering from intense depression and suicidal thoughts. Somehow, I managed to get by with help from family and friends," he said.
Actress Shamita Shetty, 41, spoke about battling depression in an Instagram post urging people to seek help. "Depression... any of us can go through it," she wrote in the post shared on Sunday. "Recognise it, accept it and reach out for help in whichever way you can."
Comedian Danish Sait also revealed that he has battled depression and anxiety for three years. His tweet got a shout-out from Deepika Padukone, who has been vocal about mental health and has battled depression herself.
It is extremely heartening to see soo many of you coming out and sharing your experience with mental illness. https://t.co/BDArEVZ36b
— Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) June 15, 2020
According to news agency PTI, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday said Mumbai Police will take into account actor Sushant Singh Rajput's reported clinical depression while conducting a probe into his death.
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