Shruti speaks about her tryst with anxiety

Shruti Haasan has not shied away from speaking about mental health problems. In fact, she had recently revealed about seeking therapy for three years. Speaking about mental health, Shruti says, “Sometimes, people try to brush things under the carpet and do not like to talk about them. They may not evengo for therapy or address the problem and still be fine. But that is when the mind starts dysfunctioning because it produces unbalancing acts. If you don’t talk about something, like, to give an example, even in a relationship between, when people are not able to communicate it falls apart.”

Elaborating the importance of communication, the actor says, “When one is held captive of mental health problems, the most important thing to do is communicate. I have always promoted mental awareness because I have suffered from anxiety. I have been in therapy for three years, which has completely changed my life. I had a fear of talking and expressing. But, the therapy gave me the courage to articulate my journey, which has been resonating with people. I feel you cannot help someone until you have experienced or been through something similar.”

Having been through a lot herself, Shruti advices those going through mental health crisis to seek help. “When I see people struggling to communicate I urge them to talk to someone. It’s not always possible for family or friends to hear you all the time, because they don’t have an objective perspective of you. Sometimes you may inform your mother, ‘Mom, I have fever,’ and she may give you a glass of haldi doodh (turmeric milk), but if you have an infection it is the doctor who can fix it. It’s the same narrative here.”

It is said family and friends can play an important role and help an individual deal with mental health issues. So, what is Shruti’s (who is veteran actors Kamal and Sarika’s daughter) family like? “Not clingy,” pat comes the reply. “We are not a family that is extremely,

‘ chippku’.

We have never been like that. Mainly because my parents separated when I was young. And then we all have individual careers and are busy. I hate to admit it, but even before the pandemic-induced lockdown, I have been away from them and at times not met them for fourfive months,” Shruti concludes. —Lipika Varma