Actress Deepika Padukone is set to launch an awareness campaign that takes forward her fight against depression, a condition that she has admitted to have been suffering from
The 30 year old who had come out openly last year about her struggle with depression and talked about a lack of awareness and social stigma attached to it, is set to launch a year long awareness campaign 'You Are Not Alone', today, to take forward her fight.
"Last year, I spoke about my own fight with depression as I felt I could not just sit by and watch as people who were going through what I had gone through.''
Starting with own school Sophia's High School in Bengaluru, the awareness campaign is set to cover over 200 schools to raise awareness. "We believe that schools can be the first line of defence for emotional and mental health disorders in our youth. We could also help connect the schools to counselling organisations and independent counselors if they need such help," she said.
"Our aim is to bring the issue of mental health from the shadows and include this discussion in drawing room conversations from being spoken of in hushed tones,'' she said. "We are committed for on-ground activities such as training GPs, creating a national database of mental healthcare professionals for easy access, furthering the cause through fundraising, partnering with other organisations and NGOs and establishing strong links with reputed institutes such as NIMHANS and TISS,'' she added.
Besides launching the school-based awareness programme, Padukone has also partnered with Guinness World Record holding mountaineer David Liano who will climb the Mt Everest carrying Padukone's 'Live Love Laugh Foundation' flag to support people fighting depression and spread the message of mental health.