I used to face anxiety due to my thyroid issues" - Neha Kakkar

What Happened To Neha Kakkar?

Neha Kakkar is an Indian playback singer and widely known face on television whose powerful voice and energetic personality have hooked the hearts of many around her. However, what nobody knew was that merely beneath this resounding success, there laid a battle of anxiety and depression she bravely faced within herself. 

This article goes deep into the journey of Neha Kakkar regarding mental health struggles, the factors that caused anxiety, and how she regained her wellness.

Background of Neha Kakkar

Neha Kakkar was born on 6th June 1988. She was brought up in a city called Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, India. She had a musical background. Her father was a music composer, and her mother was a housewife. 

She was into singing from an extremely young age and participated in many competitions. She gained massive popularity after the reality-singing show Indian Idol in 2006. From then on, she launched innumerable hits along with multi-talented artists from all walks of the Indian music globe.

Neha was successful in her professional life but carried a heavy burden throughout her personal life that had a crucial impact on her mental health.

What is Depression?

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by feverish feelings of being sad, hopelessness, and an unrelenting lack of interest or pleasure in activities. Among its signs and symptoms are changes in appetite or weight, sleep, and fatigue; worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt; concentration difficulty; and recurrent thoughts of death. 

According to WHO, more than 264 million people suffer from depression around the world.

What Took Neha Kakkar to Depression

Neha Kakkar has openly spoken regarding her anxiety and depression issues caused by several factors. She discussed on the show Indian Idol that her thyroid problem was among the major causes that led to her anxiety issues. 

While being on Indian Idol, she confessed that despite having a family that supported her in every manner and that she was rocking her career very well, issues within her body always kept disturbing her psychological state. 

She discussed on an episode: "Although I have everything, a good family and career,my bodily issues always bothered me much and because of which I used to face anxiety".

Neha Kakkar's Struggle with Mental Health

Challenging is one term that might best define the journey Neha has had regarding her mental health. In many interviews and public appearances, she has come out on issues of anxiety and depression that have manifested in her life. 

During Indian Idol 12, she broke down in tears when discussing her struggles after a contestant performed an emotional scene. This was a time when mental health issues had to be addressed publicly.

On Instagram, Neha wrote about how silly she found height-related jokes about her in a spoof video. She posted: "Shame on these people for creating such hurtful and insulting content! My peeps know how much I enjoy comedy, but this one is ridiculous! Stop using my name, stop enjoying dancing and acting to my songs if you hate me so much. Thankless people! ".

In a couple of her Instagram stories, Neha shared about her mental health problems saying “Yes I am in depression. Thanks to all the negative people in the world. You are successful in giving me the worst days of my life. Congratulations, you're successful.”

In another story she shared about it by writing “Let me make it clear, it's not because of one person or two, it's because of the world that is not letting me live my personal life. I'm thankful to everyone who loves my work or me but people who talk rubbish about me without even knowing how I am or what I am going through are giving me a hard time... I beg, please let me live happily.”

This post revealed her vulnerability and how body shaming - body negative image affected her mental health.

Guts to Open Up About Depression & Anxiety

More importantly, the fact that Neha Kakkar speaks about her mental health challenges shows much promise in a culture where such things seem to be stigmatized. 

She has helped break this stigma and motivated others to seek appropriate help through various interviews where she insisted on admitting one's struggles.

On Indian Idol, a contestant was appreciated by Neha for speaking about her battle with anxiety. This marked not just Neha's sympathy but also revealed that it is pretty all right to discuss one's mental health condition out loud.

Recovery Journey of Neha Kakkar: How Neha Kakkar Fought/Disclosed Her Battle with Depression & Anxiety

The recovery journey of Neha Kakkar was very comprehensive since several plans were placed to deal with her health issue, be it physical or mental.

• Medical Treatment: She needed to treat her thyroid condition to keep her anxiety symptoms under control. Keeping in touch with healthcare providers regarding her thyroid condition helped her stay on track for improved physical health
• Mindfulness Practices: Neha revealed that mindfulness practices like meditation are essential parts of her coping mechanism. They keep her in the correct mode. Significant factors that Neha had overcome before dealing with body image problems, which led to her anxieties, included self-acceptance and positive affirmations. 
• Family Support: Neha received unwavering support from her family. Her brother Tony Kakkar is very open about their close family bond and how they play motivational games with each other during hard times 
• Creative Work Participation: Neha's revival in music allowed her to vent her feelings constructively. She often mentioned that singing helps her deal with sorrow.

Support System that Helped Neha Kakkar Deal with Depression

Understanding the Support She Gained from Family, Friends, and Experts

Neha's family has been a critical support system in her entire trauma. Her brother, Tony Kakkar, stood by her side during these challenging times. He always reminds Neha to love herself and accept herself.

But then she credited professional help as a significant part of her rehabilitation therapy, which helped suit her ability to cope with emotions better and tackle stressors that came with fame. In interviews, she said it was such a relief to have people around who knew mental health issues.

Neha Kakkar's Inspiring Story: Impact on Mental Health Awareness

The journey of Neha Kakkar has indeed left its mark on mental health awareness in India, as this singer spoke about anxiety and depression and inspired many fans to face their mental health issues openly and without fear. 

Some influential quotes & Neha Kakkar's Interview about Depression & Anxiety

Neha Kakkar shared a poignant insight regarding her experience of her mental health journey:

• "Though I have everything, a nice family and career, my bodily issues always disturbed me a lot,”.
• "It's high time we should start taking mental illness as seriously as any other life-threatening disease"
• "I used to face anxiety due to my thyroid issues"

These quotes sum up her resilience and perspective on overcoming adversities.

Personal Growth of Neha Kakkar After Availing Mental Health Treatment

After overcoming anxiety and depression, Neha Kakkar continued to embody all-around success in her personal and professional life:

• Musical Success: She followed her journey from depression with a series of hit songs such as "Khayal Rakhya Kar" featuring Rohanpreet Singh and Manali Trance feat. Yo Yo Honey Singh . Her struggles find their way into music that the fans appreciate.
• Television Appearances: As a judge on Indian Idol, she used this platform to share talent and her messages about mental health awareness.
• Philanthropy: Neha has been more active in philanthropic efforts regarding mental health awareness messages after recovery. Her own experiences made her take more action to help others who feel the same way.

This phase ensured professional rejuvenation and personal growth as she learned how to balance work and life by advocating for mental health.

Conclusion

Neha Kakkar's journey of anxiety and depression has shown how open and compassionate the management of mental health must be. There is always a need to reach out to others regarding helping to remove stigma; thus, her openness about personal struggles resonates with the masses, which is necessary to encourage others who face similar problems. Talking about mental health is essential to creating rapport with society and gaining people's support. It inspires one to dwell on Neha's inspiring story by calling out for the enhancement of mental well-being, individually and together.  For one who is on a hunt for resources or is interested in learning more about mental health services, Mave Health can be handy since such services are primarily engaged in helping with provision towards mental well-being.

Citations

1. TIMESOFINDIA.COM /  Feb 18, 2021. (n.d.). Indian Idol 12: Neha Kakkar opens up about anxiety, “My body issues disturbed me a lot” - Times of India. The Times of India. 
2. Neha Kakkar opens up about her anxiety, body image issues. Hindustan Times. (2021, February 19). 
3. Neha Kakkar furious over spoof video; “tried to tone down” script, says Gaurav Gera. www.ndtv.com. (2019, December 6). 
4. “yes, I am in depression. thanks to all negative people,” says singer Neha Kakkar. www.ndtv.com. (2019b, January 4). 
5. Neha Kakkar had “bodily issues” that caused her anxiety; she opens up for the first time. iDiva. (2022, December 12). 
6. News18. (2021, February 19). Indian Idol 12: Neha Kakkar reveals she faced anxiety due to bodily issues.