Must read! Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia opens up on her mental breakdown

MUMBAI: Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia took a 40-day break from her show Choti Sarrdaarni after a breakdown a few months ago.

Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia took a 40-day break from her show Choti Sarrdaarni after a breakdown a few months ago. The actress talks about how she bounced back.

Mental health has been a taboo in our society. Despite struggling with it for years, many people prefer to hide it. Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia of Choti Sarrdaarni, also battled mental health issues.

The actress shares, “I stepped out of my home when I was only 18 years old. I have always been an extrovert and fiercely independent girl, living on my own terms. With name, fame and an established TV career, life seemed perfect. I never thought that I could break down so easily. The entire experience was very daunting for me.” She says that she noticed the initial signs of it in October 2020. She says, “Our work takes up so much of our time that we don’t have time for ourselves. While shooting continuously for daily soaps for 27- 28 days in long shifts, we don’t realise what we are losing in the process. This creates an imbalance in our personal and professional life.”

She adds, “I thought that it was due to some hormonal imbalance, so I consulted my gynaecologist. But it didn’t help me much and I also consulted a psychiatrist, who told me that I was completely exhausted and stressed. He advised me to take a break as my work was keeping me away from the balance that I needed in my life. On my doctor’s advice, I even got admitted to a hospital for two days. This eventually forced me to take a 40-day break from the show. And then, I came to Delhi to stay with my parents for the next few days.”

The diva recollects, “I was on heavy medication for the initial 15 days as I was suffering from insomnia. I used to sleep, eat and sleep again, or I used to sit and cry for no reason. This was my daily routine with mood swings and despite my mother being next to me, I felt claustrophobic.” As advised by the doctors, she took time to heal and indulged herself in activities she enjoyed the most. “I listened to music, read books, did colouring; and it really helped me rediscover my own self. I reconnected with my college friends. Also, I made a deliberate attempt to take a break from social media, which was much needed for my mental well-being,” she says.

The actress went public and shared about her struggle with mental health issues on social media. She says, “My social media post talking about the issue was my first step towards it. I intend to create a platform, get experts who can come on board to address the issue. Through social media, I also want to run a campaign where I would like to post helpline numbers, where people like me can seek guidance and help from therapists. Since everything has become virtual, I would like to post about it, talk about my struggles, my experience, its signs, etc."

Credits: TOI

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