Imran Khan Talks About His Struggle With Depression: 'When You Are Tackling Severe Depression...'

Imran said getting ready for his appointments also seemed like a Herculean task, including something as simple as wearing clothes and tying shoelaces before leaving the house.

Imran 'disappeared' post the release of his last film in 2015, only to resurface on social media some months ago. What had he been up to? (Photo: Instagram/@imrankhan)

A battle with depression can be a lonely affair; it can isolate a person as they navigate their emotions and mental state. Many celebrities have, in the past, talked about their experience with depression -- a serious and debilitating mental health condition that needs to be addressed and diagnosed, in order to prevent extreme and long-term repercussions, including suicide. An A-lister like Deepika Padukone, for instance, continues to push for more awareness and talks surrounding mental health issues, after having dealt with it herself.

Now, Imran Khan has opened up about his struggle with depression, which is still considered to be a taboo topic in many parts of the world, including India. In conversation with Film Companion recently, the actor -- who mostly stayed away from the spotlight since the release of the 2015 film 'Katti Batti' -- said he felt a little 'damaged' from inside and sought therapy.

Speaking about the role that mental health therapy has played in his life, the 'Delhi Belly' star told Anupama Chopra that he did not have the 'stigma and baggage associated with mental health', as he was 'exposed to the world of mental health' via his mother -- a psychoanalyst-- who normalised it for him. "I did not have a hurdle to overcome," he said.

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The 41-year-old actor -- who is quite active on social media these days, wherein he interacts with his fans and followers -- added that the real hurdle was, in fact, recognising if he is 'stuck in a pattern'. "...am I bumping into a wall that I can't see? To catch that is tricky."

Imran 'disappeared' post the release of his last film in 2015, only to resurface on social media some months ago. What had he been up to? The actor confessed in the interview that there were 'many, many deeply-challenging days' during this long period. He said that he removed himself from the film industry because he was not able to 'engage with any part of it'. For Imran, it was easy to walk away from the industry because he was never 'enamoured' by it.

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The actor and father-of-one also confessed that during this phase of his life, he battled depression. "In those years, I was just not capable of doing these things. I was barely capable of functioning. When you are tackling deep and severe depression, just getting up in the morning and brushing your teeth and taking a shower is a monumental task," he said, adding that if not for his therapy appointments, he would have stayed in bed all day long.

Imran said getting ready for his appointments also seemed like a Herculean task, including something as simple as wearing clothes and tying shoelaces before leaving the house. "It got me out of bed, out of the house... It kept me moving. And, for a long time, that was as much as I was capable of."

Over the years, the actor became stronger. He worked on himself 'bit-by-bit' to be able to step out into the world and engage with people and life. "But, I couldn't have done it back then."