Actor Deepika Padukone has always been vocal about the importance of mental health and shared her own stories of depression. The actor, who is currently in Tamil Nadu's Thiruvallur, building on her mental health foundation Live Love Laugh's rural community mental health program ahead of World Mental Health Day, talked about the importance of a caregiver in such circumstances. She mentioned how her mother,Ujjala Padukone, had identified her symptoms. Deepika told NDTV, "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 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." She said that her mother had ensured her treatment, consultations with doctors, even though it might have taken a toll on her. "I think caregivers in general, whether it is mental illness or any other form of illness, it takes a toll on the caregiver," she continued. In August this year, Deepika had spoken about depression at an event held in Mumbai, saying that she would feel suicidal. "I would break down for no reason. There were days when I just didn’t want to wake up," she had said, adding that she struggled to keep a brave face whenever her parents came to visit. In 2021, Deepika Padukone launched the Live Love Laugh Foundation, which aims at helping people struggling with mental health. On the work front, Deepika has several projects in the pipeline including Project K, Fighter and Pathaan.
