Rhea Chakraborty has navigated a challenging path over the past five years, experiencing significant impacts on both her personal and professional life, particularly her mental well-being. Despite the immense pressure, she chose resilience and now stands as a vocal advocate for mental health awareness.
This World Mental Health Day, Rhea shared her personal struggles, revealing, “I suffered from PTSD. Even the smallest things, like someone rushing to open a door for me, would trigger intense panic. My calves would tense up due to the constant fight-or-flight response my body was in. Over time, my gut health was affected, as the gut is often called the ‘second brain’. For two years, I completely overhauled my lifestyle, adopted a vegetarian diet, and subsisted mainly on khichdi.”
Reflecting on the current societal climate, Rhea noted, “I believe the mental health crisis is a pandemic that affects everyone. Many young people today, around 15-16 years old, identify with having anxiety due to hustle culture and the immense pressure to constantly achieve.”
While acknowledging the progress in mental health conversations and awareness, Rhea pointed out the lingering public apprehension. “There’s still a significant stigma attached to mental health. Discussing experiences with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or trauma is often met with judgment. Although a segment of society now recognizes these issues as valid, the biggest hurdle we face collectively is judgment.”
Rhea also emphasized the crucial role of therapy in her healing process: “I’ve been in therapy for three and a half years, at one point attending sessions every single week. For two years and four months straight, I never missed a Wednesday session at 4 PM. Therapy was truly a lifesaver for me, and I can’t dismiss it as ‘nonsense’ as some people do.”
When asked about improving the mental health crisis, Rhea advised, “We need to foster greater awareness and understanding. Mental health issues should be treated with the same seriousness as any physical ailment. Just as we wouldn’t judge someone with cancer, we should approach mental health without judgment. It’s essentially a ‘cancer of the mind,’ and shifting our perspective can eliminate stigma.”
Rhea on getting her passport back
Speaking about the recent return of her passport, Rhea shared, “Considering the depth of trauma I’ve experienced, any subsequent challenge feels less daunting. I see it as a gift that trauma bestows upon survivors: the ability to cope better with future hardships and a newfound appreciation for life’s simpler aspects. For me, normalcy is the most valuable thing. Having my passport back, regardless of whether I travel, means I have the freedom to plan and act if urgent travel is needed for work. This sense of freedom feels like a divine gift. These small victories become monumental, and when they happen, everything else feels within reach.”