Bollywood actor Ali Fazal has set up a series of panel discussions to help people who’ve had trouble with their mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a nation, we must start learning from this and understand the importance of having a regular conversation on mental health. It all starts with reaching out, acknowledging. That’s the core of mental health,” Fazal said.
“For example for now and for all times, we need to be more empathetic towards doctors and nurses and all other frontline workers because the trauma they’re facing on a daily basis today is bound to take an enormous toll on their mental health tomorrow,” he added.
According to him, mental health does not work on the concept of ‘one size fits all’.
“Hence in my initiative, the aim is to help them be aware of various groups and sections of societies that need provision of mental health and to provide them with the necessary help and support for it,” he added.
With the help of Dr Harish Shetty and Dr Anjali Chabariya, senior psychiatrists from Mumbai, and Dr Aleem Siddiqui from Lucknow, Immediate Past Direct Council member of Indian Psychiatric Society, Fazal is looking forward to starting with this initiative.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of other celebrities have also come forward to talk about mental health.
Actress Deepika Padukone, who has been quite vocal about her battle with depression, recently took to her social media handles to urge people to take proper care of their mental health.
On her Instagram account, she had shared a list of several mental health helpline numbers.
“As millions of us (me and my family included) strive to stay afloat, let us not forget that our emotional well-being in this current crisis, is equally important! Remember, You Are Not Alone. We are in this together. And most importantly, there is HOPE! #YouAreNotAlone @tlllfoundation,” she had posted.
Amid the surge in cases, many stars like Katrina Kaif, Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, Mira Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, among others have been using social media to amplify the voices of those in need.
