Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently offered a raw and honest glimpse into a dark period in her life - the year following her divorce from Naga Chaitanya - revealing just how deeply it impacted her mentally and emotionally. This was the same time when she was diagnosed with myositis, an autoimmune disorder. Speaking to Galatta Plus, she didn’t sugarcoat the pain, nor did she try to neatly wrap it in false positivity. Instead, she spoke of what it truly means to face despair head-on, when nothing seems to make sense anymore. “I remember once I actually went to the point where I thought like, 'enough, I can't do this anymore'. I had the worst possible thoughts. I obviously didn't have the courage to go ahead and do it… It was hard for a year. There was nothing that was working, there were no answers being given. Every direction I turned, there were no answers. Everything felt broken. I backed out,” Samantha admitted. What helped her pull back from that edge was not instant hope, but a slow process of building emotional strength from scratch. “I obviously chickened out because you need to have lots of guts to act upon these thoughts. So I was like, 'I better find a way to build some kind of resilience and start thinking of other things I can do with my life'.” She opened up about the lessons she learned from her experience. "Now, when individuals say they are going through a difficult period, I advise them to get through it. There is always a lesson to be learned and a light at the end of the tunnel. "My failures and hardships taught me more than my success," she said. When someone says ‘every direction I turned, there were no answers,’ what kind of emotional or psychological state does that typically indicate? Jai Arora, counselling psychologist and co-founder of Kirana Counselling, tells indianexpress.com, “When someone says this, they’re describing a state of deep emotional confusion, what we often call mental fog or brain fog. Life feels hopeless and directionless. This kind of inner struggle may show up in individuals going through grief, trauma, or major life transitions like a divorce.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) In this space, Arora states, even basic decisions can feel impossible. “There’s no clarity, just noise. The way out isn’t about solving everything overnight. Building distress tolerance becomes crucial. The ability to tolerate painful emotional states and also accepting some hard truths (not necessarily labeling it as good or bad). It starts with small, grounding actions - like sticking to a simple routine, talking to someone you trust, or just getting through the day. These tiny steps slowly clear the fog and help rebuild a sense of direction.” Evidence-based steps individuals can take to build resilience when they feel like everything is broken and nothing is working Arora suggests the following: Talk it out or write it down: Naming the pain takes away some of its power. Do one small thing: When depression or grief takes over, even a 10-minute walk or making your bed can start to shift your mood. Stay connected: Having just one person who listens without judgment can be a lifeline. We are social beings and studies show that social connection regulates your nervous system. Be here now: Mindfulness can help when your mind keeps spiraling. Simple breathing or grounding techniques bring you back to the present. Reach out for help: Therapy isn’t just for breakdowns. It’s for building back up. And sometimes, a trained professional can help you see the light when all you can see is darkness.
