A strong misconception about celebrities is that they lead a life laced with glitz and glamour so they are always happy and in high spirits, which isn’t true. It is important to realize that mental illnesses do not have any fixed causes or reasons behind them. The manifestations of them, likewise, take various forms. Lately, with an increased awareness surrounding mental health in Pakistan, a number of celebrities, both national and international, have come out with their struggle with depression.
Hina Altaf
When Hina Altaf talked about her fight with depression, she was one of the first celebrities to talk about this issue in detail. She shared the symptoms she had and everything she did which helped her on Samina Pirzada’s show. She also talked about how the environment in her house affected her mental condition. Hina also gave credit to the doctor who totally turned her life around. Hina Altaf also talked about schizophrenia, another mental disorder that people do not know much about. She made it a point that she talked about her fight with depression in every talk show because according to her that is what her therapist recommended. Hina’s interviews definitely helped people understand depression and they went viral. She used her fame for this constructive purpose and while doing so, Altaf also healed herself.
Mawra Hocane
Mawra Hocane along with her sister Urwa talked about depression rather casually when they were invited as guests in Nida Yasir’s morning show. They were criticized and made fun of after they remarked that the kind of food they eat causes depression and food can also cure depression. They were criticized for their ill-informed opinions and that is when both sisters decided to talk about their own struggles with depression and anxiety. While replying to someone on Instagram, Mawra Hocane shared that she had been battling with anxiety and she also showed her support for all those people who were fighting with the disorder. This was Mawra’s way of telling the world that she was not ill-informed but she too was going through the same turmoil. She also cited different sources which supported her claim that processed food adds to depression. People however continued to mock her. Mawra did not let the criticism stop her from sharing how she fought with anxiety and once again through social media shared her journey and hoped to spread awareness about anxiety.
Mahira Khan
Superstar Mahira Khan spoke with Sara-Jane Mee about the importance of mental health awareness and her new role as an ambassador for the British and Asian Trust. The Bin Roye star Two years back when a fan asked her on Twitter whether there is any cure for depression, the Raees diva shared a piece of advice to those who are suffering from mental illnesses, urging them not to be afraid to speak up about depression. “Don’t be afraid of getting help. Talk about it. Ask questions. Read. Reach out to people,” she responded. “There is no shame in reaching out for help. Sometimes talking therapy helps. Other times meds do. But it’s important to go to the right people who can guide you through it,” added Mahira.
Momina Mustehsan
In 2018 when model Anam Tanoli took her own life after fighting depression, Momina Mustehsan spoke about her own struggle with depression through an Instagram post. She posted her picture and wrote, “I was going through turmoil not very long ago. It happens to the best of us. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and we all hit points in our lives sometimes when all seems to be falling out of our control.” This was not the first time that Momina talked about her struggle with depression. She made several videos in which she talked about her struggles in detail and she also had a special message for the trolls. Momina’s struggle basically showed that celebrities too sometimes find it really hard to cope with the demands of their work and they of course are under severe scrutiny continuously which adds to the deterioration of their mental health. Momina Mustehsan came under severe criticism for ‘photographing’ herself while she was depressed. Earlier in a video post, Momina talked about her struggle with depression and tried to make people understand the disorder.
Usman Mukhtar
Usman Mukhtar talked about the impact childhood experiences have on a person’s mental health. He talked about being an overly anxious adult to the extent that it impacted his eating habits and as a result of that he gained a lot of weight. He shared that he was sent to a boarding school when he was really young and the bullying there coupled with the pressure of coping on his own impacted his mental health. He stayed in the boarding school for 5 years and feels that it shaped his personality in such a way that he finds it difficult to cope with many situations.
Imran Abbas
Following model Anam Tanoli’s tragic incident, Imran Abbas shared a post on his Instagram explaining how mental illnesses are not a joke and how there is a collective need for introspection, as a society.
To put it in Abbas’ words, “Please don’t look down to people suffering from depression, mental ailment, stress, and anxiety. Before judging anyone or making fun of someone (specially who is deceased and who can’t explain/ clarify her/himself) we must look around and try to be nice to people who are suffering from the circumstances which can lead a person to suicide (which certainly is one of the most forbidden acts in our religion).”
Further down in his post, he said, “In our society, it’s so convenient to slut-shame an actress and model, scoff at anyone for any rhyme or reason. Making jokes about people who’ve committed suicide does not make you a comedian. It is not dark humor, it is condemnable humor.”
Imran had previously also opened up his depression, in an interview with Times of India. He mentioned how not being able to do Aashiqui 2 put him in a depressive phase. Even hearing somebody sing “Tum Hi Ho” triggered him.
Hira Mani
Hira Mani’s interview with Samina Peerzada has been a memorable one for many reasons. The Kashf star talked about depression and that she was going to a therapist to cure her depression. She stated that when she entered showbiz, she became too competitive and materialistic. Because of this, she went into depression, she was constantly trying to own things that other popular actresses had. Then a moment of realization changed everything for her. She realized that the reason for her depression was that she was trying to find happiness where there was none. Hira cried while talking about this phase of her life and had an important message for her listeners as well.
Nausheen Shah
Nausheen Shah revealed on Ahsan Khan’s show that she was struggling with depression and anxiety when she was shooting for Deewar-e-Shab been fighting depression for almost 7 years and although she went to see the doctor, she did not get the kind of help she was expecting to get. The doctor gave her a relaxant and Nausheen Shah started abusing the drug because it brought short-term relief. One day she completely broke down in front of her co-actor Shahroz Sabzwari and he pointed her in the right direction. Shah is still fighting depression but with the help of medicine and experts to guide her. Nausheen talked about her struggle with depression in Ahsan Khan’s talk show. She has also been part of seminars that help spread awareness about depression.
Juggan Kazim
Juggan Kazim often talks about mental health because she has gone through a really difficult period of her life when she was in an abusive marriage. Juggan got really depressed and had low self-esteem. When her son was born, her life got meaning but the abusive marriage left her broken. She often talks about the importance of therapy and how important it is to seek help in such situations.
Other Artists
Yashma Gill
Actor Yashma Gill shared in multiple interviews that she came from a broken family which impacted her mental health. She was depressed and anxious. She started avoiding her family and was over-dependent on friends. At the age of 19, she was diagnosed with clinical depression. She worked hard in order to come out of this mental state and eventually found solace in the family. She also moved to Australia for further studies and the change in environment helped.
Senior actor Salma Hassan opened up about how therapy helped her over the years. She is also one of those few celebrities who talked openly about post-partum depression; a topic that is often considered taboo even in this day and age. She discussed the issue in detail and talked about the stigma attached to therapy. She shared how she was on medication for depression and later on turned to therapy when she felt that her daughter was getting affected due to her mental condition.
Actor Babar Khan also talked about the extreme depression he went through after his beloved wife Sana Khan passed away in a tragic incident. Babar Khan made a television appearance after many years and talked about how depressed he got and also attempted to take his own life. Babar Khan’s struggle with depression has been a long fight that finally ended when he had his first daughter and he felt that his life had meaning now. Even now Babar Khan hardly ever gives interviews and struggles with staying happy.
Singer Nouman Javaid was so depressed that he tried to kill himself. His suicide attempt was initially termed as an accident but later on, Nouman talked openly about how difficult it was for him to fight depression. While talking about the tough times he had been going through Nouman said in an interview, “I was in depression for quite some time before finally attempting suicide. I was facing issues in life but I wish to make it clear that Fariha was not the only reason behind my depression; there were a number of other things involved.” Nouman Javaid’s marriage with Fariha ended weeks after his suicide attempt. Before attempting suicide, Nouman also posted a status saying “mein chala” (I am going). In a recent interview, Nouman said that he was focusing on namaz and his work to help him deal with heartbreak and now he was content with his life.
