YES, EVEN A CHILD CAN EXPERIENCE DEPRESSION

Actor Zaira Wasim’s story of a fiveyear struggle has highlighted the fact

Iwas always made to believe that there’s nothing wrong with [me], but I knew - I always did and still do. I remember being told that there’s no such thing as depression, it only happens to people who were above 25…” This is how actor Zaira Wasim, who won people over with her portrayal of the young Geeta Phogat in the 2016 blockbuster Dangal, explained her battle with depression.

In an Instagram post she wrote yesterday, Zaira opened up on how she got a panic attack at the age of 12, and has ever since battled depression. Elaborating on how extreme it got for her, she wrote that she’d pop five antidepressants every day, have anxiety attacks, would be rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night, be restless, anxious, have hallucinations, have sore limbs from sleeping too much, or not be able to sleep at all for weeks.

Psychologist Priyanka Verma explains that depression isn’t something that only affects adults. “A lot of people tend to pass over the symptoms, thinking, ‘Oh, the person is smiling, how can they be depressed?’ This is very common. But younger children do suffer from depression; there’s no age.”

Zaira saying that she slept too much or not at all is one of the most important symptoms. Verma says, “There are three most important signs of depression — hopelessness; helplessness; worthlessness. If a person feels any of these, they’re heading towards depression or are already in it. The physical signs are changes in sleep pattern and appetite.”

Meher Vij (inset), Zaira’s onscreen mother in Secret Superstar (2017), shares that she never sensed the 17-yearold actor was going through so much. Vij says, “On the sets, she was like most of us, happy and focused. I can’t believe she is going through so much. I tried getting in touch with her. I hope she’s fine soon.”

Psychologist Harsheen K Arora reveals that anxiety and panic attacks are very common in children now “especially with the kind of pressure [caused by] social media.” Other reasons of depression in children, says Verma, range from “being bullied by siblings or peers, or a hostile home environment” and may also be caused by chemical imbalance, “which can be rectified through medication”.

It’s not easy being an actor, as you become mentally so tired. More so for child actors who get exposed to too much too early. It’s not easy for them to [deal with it]. MEHER VIJ, ACTOR

PHOTO: AMAL KS/HT Actor Zaira Wasim had her first panic attack when she was 12

PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH