Deepika Padukone shared this image. (courtesy: deepikapadukone)

Deepika Padukone, who has been an active advocate of mental health awareness and battled depression in past, is currently in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvalllur, expanding her mental health foundation Live Love Laugh’s rural community mental health program ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10. During her trip, the actor opened up about the importance of the caregiver in coping up with mental illness. Speaking to NDTV, the actor revealed that if her mother had not identified her symptoms, she doesn’t know what state she would have been in today.

When Deepika was questioned about family’s role in mental health, she said, “It is extremely crucial. Even in my personal journey, the role of the caregiver has been extremely important that’s why my mother is here, that’s why my sister has been so passionately part of this cause for many years and also therefore when I hear the stories of the caregivers, I understand how equally important that is as well, and the emotional well-being of the caregiver is as important as the emotional well-being of the person experiencing mental illness.”

She added, “In my own case for example, had my mother and the caregiver not identified my symptoms, in my moment of vulnerability, had she not had the presence of mind to tell me to or help me reach out to the professionals, I don’t know what state I would be in today. Ensuring, I was regular with my treatment, with my consultations with the doctors, and of course it takes a toll on the caregiver as well and that’s not something new. I think caregivers in general, whether it is mental illness or any other form of illness, it takes a toll on the caregiver.”

Deepika Padukone came out about her mental illness in 2015 and revealed that she battled depression a year before that and sought help. Her foundation, Live Love Laugh aims to help those struggling with their mental health.

In another event, recalling her ordeal with depression, Deepika told NDTV, “My parents live in Bengaluru and every time they visited me, even now when they visit me, I always put on a brave front, like everything’s okay, you know you always want to show your parents that you’re fine… so I was doing one of those things like I’m fine… until they were leaving one day, they were going back to Bengaluru and I broke down and my mother asked me the usual hygiene questions like… is it a boyfriend? Is it someone at work? Has something happened? And I just didn’t have answers… it was none of these things. And it just came from a really empty, hollow place. And she knew instantly, and I think that for me was God sent.”

Deepika Padukone recently made a blink-and-miss appearance in Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra Part One: Shiva. The actor will soon be seen in Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, which is scheduled for January 25 release. Deepika will also be seen in Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter and the official Hindi remake of the 2015 Hollywood film The Intern, also starring Amitabh Bachchan.