'Going to a psychiatrist means accepting you're mad'

Sunaina and sister Hrithik Roshan

In the wake of a series of suicides - including that of DJ Avicii, and more recently, designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain - that shocked Hollywood, discussion around the urgency of tackling Depression has gained momentum. Fittingly, Sunaina Roshan has addressed the subject in her recently launched blog, Zindagi, excerpt of which she has exclusively shared with mid-day.

Those who've charted Hrithik Roshan's journey closely will know that his sister has led a difficult life, battling Depression, a broken marriage, diabetes and hypertension, apart from having undergone bariatric surgery, sought psychiatric help and survived cervical cancer.

Chronicling her battle with depression was crucial, she says, given people's apprehension to seek help. "People refuse to come to terms with it, and, sometimes, commit suicide. Visiting a doctor is taboo. They feel, going to a psychiatrist means [accepting that] they are mad. In India, being treated for it is frowned upon," she says.

Sunaina Roshan adds that with digitisation limiting communication between people, few are willing to talk about issues that affect them. "As a result, abroad, people have psychiatrists in schools and offices too. I want to tell people in India that tackling depression in time is important. I still see a counsellor, because you have to talk to an unbiased person who can guide you. I want to reach out to people who suffer from this mental ailment, which needs to be treated like any other physical ailment," she says, adding that a patient's family also plays a vital role in helping him/her emerge from the condition.

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