Breakup Depression Is Real: India's Got Latent Contestant Mocking Deepika Padukone Is Indeed Offensive

a contestant on India's got latent trolled #DeepikaPadukone for her fake sob story which she created to defame her ex. pic.twitter.com/E2v0FxM8b2

— V🐧 (@V_for___) November 17, 2024

The problem isn’t just the joke itself, but the lack of understanding and respect for mental health issues, particularly in a country like India, where such conversations are still stigmatised.

The Problem with Making Mental Health a Punchline

Depression is a serious mental illness, not just a fleeting mood or feeling of sadness. It affects millions of people worldwide, with over 56 million people in India experiencing some form of depression. The condition can severely impact thoughts, emotions, behaviour, and even physical health, sometimes preventing people from functioning normally. Dismissing it as a joke, as Banerjee did, contributes to the harmful stigma surrounding mental health, especially in a country like India where such issues are still largely ignored or ridiculed.

Mental health struggles are real and require understanding and empathy, not mockery. Padukone's battle with depression, which she has openly discussed, helped raise awareness about mental health in India. For another individual to use her personal struggles as a punchline sends a dangerous message: that mental health isn't serious, and that people who suffer from it are somehow deserving of mockery.

What is Breakup Depression?

One particular form of depression that is often minimised in India is breakup depression. Emotional pain after a significant relationship ends can manifest as a range of symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, loss of appetite, insomnia, and overwhelming feelings of sadness and isolation. While many people experience emotional turmoil during breakups, the depth of this pain is often dismissed.

Dr Rakesh Jain, a therapist, notes that many people struggle deeply after a breakup but often don't seek help due to societal pressure to “move on” and appear emotionally tough. This pressure is especially felt by men, who are expected to suppress vulnerability. Jokes that trivialise such emotional distress only exacerbate this stigma and make it harder for individuals to acknowledge their feelings and seek help.

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What I Find Most Troubling: Mocking Depression, Regardless of Who It Affects

The issue here is not just the joke, but the broader cultural tendency to trivialise mental health struggles. In India, mental illness has long been a taboo subject, often linked with shame and social stigma. Even today, mental health issues are frequently dismissed as “just stress” or “a phase,” especially for women and young people. This dangerous attitude prevents people from seeking the support they need and undermines the severity of conditions like depression.

Deepika Padukone first opened up about her battle with depression in 2015, sharing her struggle publicly to break the stigma surrounding mental health in India. Despite her successful career, she revealed feeling hopeless and sought professional help. Her decision to speak out helped normalise discussions about mental health in a society where such topics were often taboo. Since then, she has become a prominent advocate, founding the Live Love Laugh Foundation to support mental health awareness.

However, reducing her experience to a joke diminishes her courage and reinforces the harmful belief that depression is something to be laughed at or dismissed.

The Indian Stigma Around Mental Health

This incident is particularly harmful in India due to the country's historical aversion to discussing mental health, which has long been viewed as a taboo subject linked to shame and stigma. Mental health professionals like Dr Jyoti Kapoor, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at Max Hospital, have long advocated for greater awareness, but the journey toward acceptance has been slow. For many, especially in rural or conservative families, admitting to struggles like depression was simply not an option.

Even today, mental health conditions are often dismissed as "just stress" or "just a phase," particularly when it comes to women or young people. This harmful mindset downplays the severity of depression and discourages individuals from seeking help.

Padukone's decision to speak openly about her own battle with depression was a significant step in shifting the conversation around mental health in India. However, reducing her personal struggle to a punchline undermines her bravery and sends the dangerous message that mental health is not a serious issue.

We need to focus on empathy, understanding, and compassion. This isn't just about respecting celebrities like Deepika Padukone, but about honouring everyone’s right to mental well-being. In India, the journey towards better mental health awareness starts with education and open dialogue. It's time to stop treating mental health as a punchline and instead offer the support that those struggling with it truly need.

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