I was thirteen when my parents were going through a divorce, says Elnaaz Norouzi

After having pursued her acting course at New York Film Academy Elnaaz Norouzi started modelling for various brands She got her big break in Sacred Games Post that there has been no long back She spoke to Mid Day Online on the occasion of World Mental Health Day 2022Do you know what the theme of this yearrsquos lsquoWorld Mental Health DayrsquoYeah It is mental health day and the theme last year was mental health in an unequal world and this year it isHave you ever struggled with any kind of clinically diagnosed mental health condition If so will you be comfortable sharing your experienceI have when I was thirteen my parents were going through a divorce It became too difficult to deal with it on my own and so I went for counselling and things became better I went to the therapist for a very very long time Even today I may not speak to my therapist every day or week but I reach out to her whenever I need to I always wonder why we go to a dentist over a toothache but we do not go to a therapist when our mind our heart is achingWhat personal development efforts have you made to overcome your mental health issuesYou have to put a lot of effort in overcoming the mental health issues because it is something nobody else can help you with You have to decide because a lot of people think itrsquos a bad thing to have a therapist or go to a psychiatrist because they think ldquoI am not crazy ldquo Itrsquos just as you fix your bone when itrsquos broken right I really want everyone to understand that itrsquos part of your body that might need help or is not functioning the way it is supposed to for sometimeWhen did you realise that you have mental health issues that need to be addressedI also went through a rough time just before getting and shooting lsquoSacred GamesrsquoDid you try talking discussing the same with anyoneThe fact that I was alone I did not have anybody here It was hard for me to get projects and sustaining in the city thatrsquos when I realized I needed helpWas it tough dealing with Covid 19 timesOf course it was for all of us in fact I was lucky enough to be in Germany at that time close to my family and friends and yet I had a lot of fears just like everyone elseAlso Read I learnt Hindi only by listening to Big Bs dialogues says Moses Sapir Were you on medication of any sort or only counselling helped you out to overcome itThank God I never had to take any medication because I always wanted to be strong enough to deal with it myself I recognized it early enough and took counselling And counselling did help me but I will also never shy away from medication if thatrsquos the state you are in Again if you have a headache you will take a crocin too right So no shame in thatThese days many people young and old are becoming victims day by day to the silent problem of mental health Is there anything that you want to tell themI guess maybe sometimes it is hard to identify people with mental health issues because a lot of people who might be depressed are very outgoing smiling but deep within they might feel otherwise So I feel they should discuss it with their friends or family or go for counselling Discuss your mental health with whomever you feel close to because the more you speak about it the better you will feelWhat has been your greatest achievement so farMy greatest achievement so far has been the fact Irsquove been persistent That I have never given up Even on the days where I felt very low or depressedHow do you motivate yourself dailyThat I have remained disciplined and even though I have gone through such hard times I have always been through the rough times alone because Irsquove always lived alone travelled alone my family hasnrsquot been around me always lived and worked on my own I think it is also a big big factor that you have to motivate yourself Think of your goal What you want to achieve Whatever obstacle is in your way even if it is your mental health you have to fix itAre you a satisfied person todayIrsquom never completely satisfied even today Sometimes I have my low days Sometimes I have days where I cry But I tell myself this too shall pass And the next day I go and tell myself that today Irsquom not feeling it but tomorrow I have to find a solution and fix itAlso Read Mental health is the most underrated part of us says Anu Aggarwal