As promised, Deepika Padukone launches Live Love Laugh Foundation to help fight depression

Deepika Padukone is one of the very few actors in Bollywood who came out in the open to speak about the hush-hush topic of depression. The actress who battled depression in the past has now launched a non-profit organisation, Live Love Laugh Foundation, to help people cope with problems of mental health. Padukone shared the same on Twitter.

The Live Love Laugh Foundation...coming soon! pic.twitter.com/a3tq9cplCE

— Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) August 6, 2015

"The fight against depression is a cause very close to my heart and is one of the largest health issues facing the country today. Having experienced depression in the recent past, I realise how difficult it is to recognise the problem, find information and get the right kind of professional help. I was fortunate to get the kind of support and through this platform I hope others get the same kind of help. My team and I are working hard to set up the foundation and the logo launch is a small step in that direction," said Padukone.

The actor had earlier said in an interview to NDTV, "In early 2014, while I was being appreciated for my work, one morning, I woke up feeling different. A day earlier, I had fainted due to exhaustion; it was all downhill from there. I felt a strange emptiness in my stomach."

"I thought it was stress, so I tried to distract myself by focusing on work, and surrounding myself with people, which helped for a while. But the nagging feeling didn't go away. My breath was shallow, I suffered from lack of concentration and I broke down often. Over a period of time, it got worse. When my parents visited, I would put up a brave front because they were worried about me living alone and working long hours."

"Then, once, while talking to my mother (Ujjala Padukone), I broke down. She realised the problem, and got in touch with a psychologist friend, Anna Chandy, to get to the root of the cause. I am now working on an initiative to create awareness about anxiety and depression, and help people. My team is working with me to formulate a plan, which will be unveiled soon."

Deepika Padukone's foundation will engage with institutions, professionals and other organisations in the field of mental health.