You're Not Alone
Hmm. I think, I think what was tough was, not being able to talk to anyone because I don't think anyone understood what I was experiencing. So if I'd say I'm not feeling. I and I didn't know myself initially how to describe it.
I've just, all of these terms of. I knew what I was feeling, but I don't think I was able to communicate entirely what I was feeling. Like, I knew I had this pitish feeling in my stomach.
I knew that I'd be scared to wake up. I didn't want to wake up. I wanted to always, you know,
I found sleep, I found comfort in sleep because I felt like that was my escape. And like, waking up was a struggle. I didn't, I didn't enjoy.
And in fact, I think that's something I'm still scared of. I don't like the sound of an alarm. So yeah, I think waking up was tough because I didn't want to face a day.
Every day I had to wake up because I had to wake up, do something. I didn't enjoy that feeling of, waking up to an alarm and then, going to work. I think I had to do it.
I was, I was, I was working every day. And there were days when. I mean, of course, I think every day was a challenge to sort of I didn't know how the day was going to pan out for me.
I didn't know if, I think I'd be extremely conscious of being surrounded by people because if I needed to break down, I didn't know where I could do that.
And so I think I was always conscious of where I was going to be, although that was not in my control because I think in my profession, you're, you know, I'm expected to be at different places at different times, and no two days are the same. There's no pattern to any day. So I think there was always that fear of wondering where I'm going to be.
What if I have that feeling of low? What if I need to break down? And not knowing where to, where to sort of, have that moment to myself.
And I was also, I think, conscious of people seeing it on my face. So, mm, it was a lot of effort, I think, to, mm, I think to show like everything was okay because it was not.
And I think to keep smiling or to keep, giving energy to people around me to to kind of overcompensate to show that everything was okay or that I was feeling okay, I think was extremely exhausting.
Before, of course, you know, it, before it happened, in the time that I was suffering, or struggling, I wish that I had come across that one person who said, "I think I know what it is." And it probably would have just made the whole process much easier.
So I felt like if I then shared my, story with people, it would probably help a lot of people who till today are not aware of what, They know they're not feeling their best or not feeling, correct or feeling low or feeling unwell or whatever you want to call it.
But I think it was important for me to break that down and to say, "One second, this is what I'm This, it. Are you experiencing what I'm experiencing? Because this is what I went through."
And I think that's, that's, that's what I wanted because like I said, I think for me, the minute I understood the term depression, it just made it so much easier to deal with. Thank you Mrs. Schwab, Professor Schwab, and the World Economic Forum. It is truly an honor and privilege to receive this award.
In the time that it has taken me to accept this award, the world has lost one more person to suicide. That person may have been a father, a mother, a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a friend, a family member, or a colleague. Every 40 seconds, one person dies by suicide somewhere in the world.
$1 trillion. That is the estimated impact caused by anxiety and depression on the global economy. 15th February 2014, I vividly remember waking up with a hollow feeling in my stomach. I felt empty and directionless I'd become irritable, and for someone who loves to multitask, making decisions suddenly felt like a burden.
I would cry endlessly. Waking up every morning had become a struggle. I was exhausted, and I often thought of giving up.
My mother, who recognized that something was amiss, insisted I seek professional help. Subsequently, I was diagnosed with anxiety and clinical depression. What is anxiety? It is a state of worry over a future unwanted event or a fear of an actual situation.
Depression is a common yet serious medical illness that affects how we feel, the way we think, and how we act. It is important to understand that anxiety and depression are like any other illness and are treatable. However, in my experience, acceptance is the first step to recovery.
Through my journey to recovery, as I began to understand the stigma and lack of awareness associated with mental illness, I felt a deep need to save at least one life, and it was this very need that motivated me to go public with my illness and set up the Live, Love, Laugh Foundation. Live, love, and laugh exemplify my personal philosophy to life.
The Live, Love, Laugh Foundation aims to provide hope to every person experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression and has undertaken work in the following areas: Awareness programs in schools covering over one hundred and fifty thousand adolescents and sixteen thousand teachers across eleven cities in India. Funding free psychiatric treatment in low-income communities. Collaborative partnerships to run continuing medical education programs in common mental disorders for general practitioners.
Nationwide public awareness campaigns to destigmatize mental illness. An annual lecture series featuring some of the world's foremost thinkers and achievers, and research. As key stakeholders in shaping the global mental health narrative, prioritizing mental health in the workplace and various other communities, integrating mental health curriculum in educational institutions, providing accessibility to affordable mental health care, and enhancing funding for mental health are some of the focus areas that we believe are the need of the hour.
As most of us know, stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world is the theme for this year's annual meeting. But in order for us to truly achieve a cohesive and sustainable world, now more than ever before, we need to prioritize the needs of every individual, including those affected by mental illness. Mental illness has presented us all with a very tough challenge.
But in my love-hate relationship with the illness has taught me so much. To be patient, for one, that you are not alone, but most importantly, that there is hope. For in the words of Martin Luther King, "Everything that is done in this world is done by hope."
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, everyone. I'm Deepika Padukone, and this International Women's Day, I would like to stress on the importance of women and mental health.
Gender is a critical determinant of mental health and mental illness. According to the World Health Organization, one in four women are likely to experience depression at some point in their life. Depression, anxiety, psychological distress, sexual violence, domestic violence, and escalating rates of substance use affect women to a greater extent than men.
I want you to know that if you are going through a mental health crisis, help is available. You can find help at the link below. If you know someone else who is going through a mental health crisis, your support can go a very long way.
Happy International Women's Day to all the women out there, and I hope together we as women can take care of each other, uplift one another, and make mental health a priority.
