Ileana D’Cruz opens up about battling depression and body dysmorphic disorder for 15 years

A couple of years ago, Deepika Padukone shared that she had struggled with clinical depression.

In a video shot for a denim brand, Bollywood actress Ileana D’Cruz has shared that she too has suffered from depression as well as body dysmorphic disorder for 15 years.

She starts off by talking about how she has completed 11 years in the industry but her plan was never to be an actor.

“I was a shy, self-conscious person once I hit my teens. I was constantly picked on for my body type. The obsession started when I was 15; my entire life goal was to be accepted by everyone. It's what I wanted the most but I never got it. I was always the wallflower."

"I didn't even know I had a body disorder so when I started off with acting, it just got worse. There was a period, approximately three years ago, where I would go from happy to completely depressed and not knowing what it was," she added. The most comforting thought to me was what if I just end things now? Thankfully, I realized this is not right.”

The Main Tera Hero actress then talks about how depression is tricky to understand.

"I never expected to be someone who'd be dealing with anxiety or depression. I've got everything I want and more and you wonder, why are you so depressed? I still don't know sometimes."

"When I was diagnosed with depression and was told that I have a body disorder, there was a sort of acceptance that came with it immediately. That is the biggest step you can take, you can't move forward otherwise. You're not meant to be perfect, you're meant to be flawed."

Several celebrities such as Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar have also openly spoken about grappling with such disorders and mental health.