Vijay Varma Opens Up on Battling Severe Depression, Anxiety; Know Early Signs

Actor Vijay Varma, known for his hard-hitting roles, recently opened up on a deeply vulnerable phase of his life, marked by childhood trauma, complex family dynamics, and a severe depressive episode he faced during the COVID-19 lockdown. In a recent podcast interview with Rhea Chakraborty, the 39-year-old revealed how Aamir Khan’s daughter, Ira, and co-actor Gulshan Devaiah played an important role in helping him recognise his mental health struggles, which prompted him to begin therapy. Vijay said a complex relationship with his father was one of the major reasons his symptoms of severe anxiety and depression spiked during the loneliness of lockdown in 2020. “My love for my father took a beating when I became a teenager. He loved me, but he wanted

so many things from me that I didn’t want - my career, my friends, even how I spent my time. Everything about me seemed to bother him,” he said. Vijay also said he had a major mismatch of expectations with his father, who wanted him to join the family business. “Actually, I could have enjoyed the business, but I didn’t enjoy my father’s company. His temper grew exponentially as I entered my teens. The more I resisted, the angrier he became,” he said.

The COVID-19 lockdown was a turning point in Vijay's mental health

“I was all alone in an apartment in Mumbai. I had a small terrace, and that sky saved me. The pause made me realise how lonely I had become while constantly chasing work,” he said. “What happened to me is that pause, that constant running after work, the byproduct is that you become so lonely. I felt very lonely, very afraid, and I was like Why can’t I move from my couch for four days? What’s going on?” Vijay added. Vijay said that after Ira pointed out that he was showing a few symptoms, he consulted a therapist as well. Later, he did Surya namaskars and yoga as well as sought therapy.

What is depression?

According to experts, depression is a mood disorder that leads to a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in things and activities you once enjoyed. It can cause difficulty with thinking, memory, eating, and even sleeping. It is normal to feel sad about or grieve over difficult life situations like losing your job or a divorce. But depression is different in that it persists practically every day for at least two weeks and involves other symptoms than sadness alone. There are several types of depressive disorders, which include clinical depression, or major depressive disorder, also often just called depression.

Early signs of depression

According to experts, the symptoms of depression vary slightly depending on the type and can range from mild to severe. In general, symptoms include:

• Feeling very sad, hopeless, or worried. Children and adolescents with depression may be irritable rather than sad.
• Not enjoying things that used to bring joy
• Being easily irritated or frustrated
• Eating too much or too little, which may result in weight gain or weight loss
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Having low energy or fatigue
• Having a difficult time concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things
• Experiencing physical issues like headache, stomachache, or sexual dysfunction
• Having thoughts of self-harm or suicide