On World Mental Health Day, actor Sarah Jane Dias opens up about her battle with anxiety and depression, and how it led to starting her wellness podcast. “My podcast is all about physical, mental, and emotional wellness, where people share the experience of their own mental battles,” tells Dias, who was last seen in the web series The Freelancer.
Three years ago, Jane received a clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety, setting her on a tumultuous path towards recovery. She had been coping with a devastating loss prior to her diagnosis. “I lost my dad through a heart attack three years ago. I actually never spoke or posted about it until now,” she shares, visibly emotional. The tragic news came to her while she was in Los Angeles for work, receiving a call in the middle of the night. “It still hurts me when I am talking about it,” she confesses.
As the eldest sibling in her family, the 40-year-old instinctively went into a protective mode. “I had to sit in a 15 hour flight knowing that I have to land and attend my father’s funeral. I can’t even explain how awful it was,” Jane reveals, adding, “In the month to follow, I was so into protecting my mother and sister, that I suppressed and ignored the pain that I was feeling.”
However, a year later, a professional setback shattered her emotional balance. “I lost the job of a very big opportunity, and it broke me and pushed me to the edge,” she admits. “Anything that I had suppressed, it came bubbling up, which was really bad. Thankfully, I had been very deep with my spiritual and health practices, I knew that something was wrong. I started to have suicidal thoughts and thoughts like ‘What is the meaning of life’ and ‘Why am I struggling so hard?’” the Made In Heaven 2 actor further adds.
Recognising the gravity of her situation, Jane sought professional help. “I consulted doctors, began taking medications and hired a psychologist. It was a very hard journey but slowly things started getting better. I started my podcast last year and I won the best podcast in the wellness section at the India Audio Summit Awards.”
While the actor is no longer on medication, she remains vigilant about her mental health. “I am not on medication anymore, but I still lose control at times,” she admits. Her experience motivated her to use her platform to encourage open conversations about mental health. “When I started feeling better, I heard that many people from my friends and family were suffering, and I wanted them to talk about it.”
On mental health day, Jane’s message is clear: “People talk about cancer and so many other things, how can you not talk about the fact that one in four people are depressed? Mental Health is the most important thing, and all diseases start in the mind, that’s what I believe.”
.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!” Click here!