Today is World Mental Health Day, and actress Shruti Haasan has always been very vocal about its importance. Reportedly, the awareness around mental health spread further during the pandemic. Elaborating on the same, Shruti states, “Yes, I think it was one of those times where it heightened the awareness. I think that’s one of the best things that has come out of this situation, if you had to look at the silver lining. People are now speaking about mental health, the conversation is open and people are talking about getting the help they need.”
She further adds, “I have always said this, if you have fever, migraine or stomach ache, the first day you will take an aspirin or a disprin, the second day you will be like, ‘mum I am not doing good’, and the third day you will go to the doctor. So it’s very odd to treat the brain any differently. It’s the mind, it’s the way it operates, it’s chemicals. It’s so many things to do with the functioning of your body actually.”
Elaborating on the importance of therapy, Shruti shares, “I have personally benefited so much from therapy, specifically talk therapy. But for some people if it's more of a chemical imbalance then you need medication. It’s literally like being a diabetes patient and needing to take insulin. If you tell a diabetes patient, ‘I think it’s crazy that you take insulin’, they will think you’re crazy telling me what to do for me.”
Shruti says hopefully we will get to that place where everyone can talk about mental health. “I think the beautiful thing about India is we also feel, ‘Are, if you just want to talk, then talk to me. I am your friend, husband, mom - I love you’. Which is beautiful, and we need the family support system. But they are not trained professionals. Where the beautiful Indian family system comes into play is to now be supportive of the person who wants help,” says the actress.
To see the full interview, watch the below video.
