Anisha Padukone has revealed that she was caught off guard by sister Deepika Padukone’s battle with anxiety and depression in 2014, admitting she was not aware of the symptoms despite believing she understood mental health. Speaking in an interview, the professional golfer said distance and a lack of awareness made it difficult for her to recognise what Deepika was going through.
“Personally, I was not aware about the signs and symptoms to be able to understand what she was really going through. The fact that we didn’t live in the same city also did not help, and I was caught unawares. I felt like I knew enough about the topic but unfortunately, I didn’t,” Anisha said.
She added, “Unfortunately, not everyone has that access and availability,” she said.
Deepika publicly spoke about her struggle with depression in 2015 and later founded the Live Love Laugh Foundation to raise awareness about mental health. Anisha, who serves as the foundation’s CEO, said, “Her journey teaches me that I do not know enough about the subject and need to understand more. That is also where my own mental health journey begins,” she said. Anisha shares how she always prioritised physical fitness but had not given importance to mental health.“The more I research this subject, the more I realise that there are millions of people, globally, going through similar experiences,” she added.— PTI
