Payal Ghosh: When depression strikes, many are caught off-guard

Actor Payal Ghosh, known for her work in the South, as well as in the Hindi film industry, feels mental health is still the most underrated issue in society.

“Mental health is often neglected and many are caught unawares when depression strikes silently. I too was taken by surprise with the sudden changes happening in me. And soon, I was in a very critical mental condition and had to fight for life. If it hadn’t been for my family and my own grit, I wouldn’t have survived the years of battle. A bout of depression is a very slippery slope and can become extremely dangerous. I’m grateful to have been guided on the right path in time by my counsellor and family. Today, I’m on my way to putting that phase behind me,” says the Patel ki Punjabi Shaadi and Freedom actor.

Ghosh believes its lonely battle as people don’t understand the pain of mental health. She says, “People do not understand and simply tag it as ‘insanity’. No one tries to understand the reasons for it. Having been there, I want to take up the job and spread as much awareness as I can. Except your near ones, no one is there with you, supporting and you are all alone fending for yourself and trying to survive. It was in 2020 that I decided to talk about it and take the situation head on. Since then, I feel light and very confident.”

The Prayanam actor said she treated herself with care and attention. “I was determined to give up antidepressants for good. I am reverting to more traditional methods like yoga. I decided to fiercely stand up to the demons in my head. Also, my work as an artiste helps me to keep going.” Currently the youngster is busy wrapping film projects and feels happy to be back on the job. “My next film will be Red with actor Krushna Abhishek followed by another…so much is happening along with stage shows. After facing a tough time during pandemic, our industry is limping back to life. Kitna mushkil tha woh time. People were scared to invest in fresh projects and even pull-out money from invested deals. Thankfully, things are looking up.