E-MAGAZINE MARCH 2018 | Page 15

This is an integral initiative taken by her, mostly because she has gone beyond her profession and engaged with others to come out and TALK . To discuss the hindrances each suffer in their day to day live and still chose to stay mum on it. TLLLF has spread awareness on mental health via its English / Hindi website, through extensive engagement on social media, outreach to various print, TV, radio and digital media outlets, and by undertaking several on-ground activities, such as mental health awareness programmes for school students and teachers, which have already been conducted in 27 schools, reaching 4,804 students and 1,332 teachers around the country. She emphasized on "DOBARA POOCHO", "Parvaah hain toh dobara poocho (If you care enough, then please ask again)" is the tagline of Deepika Padukone’s foundation launch against depression. Sharing her personal struggle with depression, Deepika broke down during the function, and said that it is important that there is a supporting ecosystem of family and friends that allows the suffering person to cope with the disorder with hope and dignity. When I shared my story first, I did not feel any stigma or shame attached to it. And the reason I came out in the open about it was because I just did not want to feel what I was feeling, I did not let depression to get the better of me. So, I think the root cause is stigma. And the day we as a society can together get over that stigma and raise awarenes