Ira Khan Opens Up About Smiling While Coping With Her Depression. She’s Keeping It Real

Ira Khan Opens Up About Smiling While Coping With Her Depression. She’s Keeping It Real

Growing up in an Indian household, I had no concept of mental health for the longest time. We aren’t taught about it and our parents aren’t exactly open to discussing topics that have a sense of shame surrounding it. For the longest time, someone with any kind of mental illness was disregarded, discredited and just labelled ‘crazy’. Going to see a shrink and getting professional help to deal with depression or anxiety was considered an over-reaction. People were shamed and told to sleep it off or just go chill and have fun. But it doesn’t really work like that, does it? Today, the scene is very different. People are more aware and less ashamed. This change is primarily due to celebrities who’ve talked relentlessly about their bouts with depression. One of those celebrities is Amir Khan’s daughter, Ira Khan. We laud her for her candidness!

A few months ago, Ira Khan posted an emotionally-charged video on Instagram wherein she talked several sensitive topics that aren’t usually opened discussed. She went into detail about her prolonged battle with depression, her parent’s divorce, how she contracted TB when she was a child and also disclosed that she’d been sexually abused when she was merely 14-years-old.

In that video, she said that at first, she was hesitant to talk to anyone about her mental health issues because her privilege stopped her from doing so. But now, in a new video that Ira Khan shared, she said she’d promised herself she would make more videos and share regular updates about her mental health. But she hadn’t been able to do that in a while because she has been feeling down and has a new job that keeps her busy round the clock. Ira said she would ‘go to work, cry and go to sleep’ every day. It’s important to remember that she is doing this so that people can get a clear picture of what depression looks like and to spread some awareness about mental health.

Ira Khan gave a trigger warning in the caption of this new 5-minute video. She wanted people to know that it’s not a happy video nor is it a sad one. She said she was feeling very “blah” and if someone is already down, it might not be the best thing for them to watch. The caption reads, “Hello again FT. Wiza TRIGGER WARNING: It’s not a happy, positive video. It’s not an unhappy, negative video either. But I’m… blah and if you’re low, it may or may not be the best thing to watch. You be the judge. And clearly, I mumble. A lot. Will be more conscious next time.”

 

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Also Read: Ira Khan, Aamir Khan’s Daughter Talks About Depression, Sexual Abuse And More. We Tend To Invalidate Star Kids’ Struggles

Ira then said that all she wants to do is share her experience and make it understandable because she doesn’t really know how to fully explain mental illness, depression or even what to do about it. It’s really commendable and brave of Ira Khan to make these videos.

Ira moves on to talk about how even while struggling and feeling down in the dumps, she can seem completely normal. She said that when she recently attended her cousin, Zayn Marie Khan’s wedding she was trying her best to put up a brave front. Ira explained how she can be extremely happy for her cousin and still feel “like absolute crap”. She wanted to help out with all the wedding preparations and be an active part but she ended up spending a lot of time in bed, sleeping. Towards the end of the video, Ira said that this felt like her “longest burnout yet”. She said she was okay but crying a lot and she doesn’t know what the point of this video was.

She says in the video, “I can be seen smiling in all the wedding photos… but I hit a burn out. And I didn’t have enough time to deal with my burn out. So, I would work and work and work, come home and cry and then wake up and rush to work.” Further adding, “I wanted to be part of the wedding. I didn’t want to just be in bed and cry. But I slept a lot. Feel bad for not being as involved as I wanted to be… I can be happy for their wedding and still feel like absolute crap.”

From where I stand, it takes a lot of courage for anyone to open up and share your most vulnerable side on social media. Ira Khan is trying to help people not by claiming to know everything about depression but by showing people the true side of what it does to a person. She talks about having ups and downs, good days and bad days. We love her for her candidness and hope that she continues to make such honest videos. She is, inadvertently, helping tons of people see depression and mental illnesses more clearly and without stigmas.

Mental illnesses are a real problem. It’s time we gain knowledge and fight back instead of wrapping it in shame and hiding.

https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/ira-khan-aamir-khans-daughter-probably-wants-to-stay-behind-the-camera-shes-making-her-directorial-debut-with-a-play/

Mitali Shah

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