Deepika Padukone Has Been Tweeting Daily to Remind You to Talk About Mental Health

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone has always been vocal about the importance of mental health.

In the wake of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's untimely demise, however, Padukone seems to have taken it upon herself to help take the conversation on mental health forward. The actress has since been sending out daily reminders from her social media channels to talk about why mental illness must be treated like any other fatal diseases that can consume an individual.

"As a person who has had a lived experience with mental illness, I cannot stress enough about the importance of reaching out.

Talk.Communicate.Express.Seek help. Remember, You are not alone. We are in this together. And most importantly, there is Hope," Padukone tweeted hours after Singh's death.

Padukone later appreciated actor and comedian Danish Sait for opening up about his mental health issues. Sharing his post, the actor said it was heartening to see people coming out and talking about their experience with mental illness.

Pointing out the insensitive nature in reporting around the 34-year-old actor's death, the Padmaavat actor noted why "committing suicide" put the onus on the person, and invariably turned them into a person committing a "crime".

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Keeping the conversation alive, Padukone is now using her voice and influence to routinely remind people that mental health is something that needs to be addressed in society.

Also Read: 'Call a Friend', 'Just do Yoga': Mental Health Experts Explain Why These Tips Won't Cure Depression

On Thursday, the actor tweeted saying, "Depression is an illness like any other illness such as cancer and diabetes."

Earlier last month, Padukone curated a 'Wellness Guide' on Instagram, as part of the global Mental Health Awareness month to address the anxiety and uncertainty as a result of a global pandemic.

Also Read: Panic, Anxiety, Depression: What Coronavirus Lockdown Means for India's Mental Health

"I am sure we all agree that the past several weeks have not only been exceptionally unusual but also very difficult; uncertainty about the future, loss of livelihoods, and the inability to be around family and loved ones, are just a few of the challenges facing us," she said.

"And situations such as these often lead to or aggravate mental illness. I look forward to sharing with all of you some of the things I've been doing over the past several weeks to nurture my mental health, and I hope you find them useful too," she added.

Note: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata).