Ileana D'Cruz
Ileana D’Cruz

Deepika Padukone, Parineeti Chopra, Sarah Jane-Dias and several other actresses have previously opened up about battling depression. While DP had lost the will to wake up in the morning, Pari and Sarah had suffered from major body image issues. While thousands of people look up to our Bollywood celebs for their appearances and how they live their lives, it’s clearly not all that easy for the stars.

Actress Ileana D’Cruz, who has also experienced depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder, spoke up about her struggles at the 21st World Congress of Mental Health.

Here are a few things that she said:

“You may look at us actors and think that ‘Oh my God, they are so pretty, so perfect’. But that’s not how it is. It takes two hours to get ready and look like this. Love yourself for who you are and trust me if you are happy from within, you are the most beautiful person and your smile is your best asset.”

“I was always a very self-conscious person and was picked on for my body type. I used to feel low and sad all the time but didn’t know I was suffering from depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder till I got help. All I wanted to do was to be accepted by everyone.”

“At one point, I even had suicidal thoughts and wanted to end things. However, all of it changed when I accepted myself and what I was going through. I think that is the first step towards fighting depression.”

“It is a chemical imbalance in your brain, and needs to be treated. Don’t sit back and think it will get okay but go get help. Like you have a sprain and go get yourself checked, if you have depression, seek help.”

“I am not saying that I had this miraculous recovery, every day is a process, every day is a step towards healing yourself and getting better. You are a human being and are allowed to be imperfect, and you are allowed to be flawed. There is a lot of beauty in your imperfections, in your uniqueness.”

It takes a lot to come forward and speak about these things. Kudos to Ileana for talking about her issues and inspiring so many people out there. More power to you, girl!