Arjun Kapoor reveals being diagnosed with mild depression, Hashimoto’s disease: 'I gain weight as body goes in distress'
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Arjun Kapoor has spoken about getting diagnosed with mild depression and suffering from Hashimoto's disease. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Arjun was talking about his new Rohit Shetty film, Singham Again, when he revealed how he dealt with ‘mild depression’ while he shot for the action film.
‘I started therapy and went to a couple of therapists’
The actor revealed that he resorted to therapy to deal with all the mental issues he faced after his recent films failed to perform well at the box office, adding that 'being a fat kid created a lot of mental trauma' for him.
Arjun said, “I started seeking therapy... The depression and therapy part started happening last year... I did not know if I was depressed or not, I knew something was not working... my life was filmed, and now suddenly I used to watch other people’s work and think to myself, ‘Will I be able to or will I get a chance?' I have never been a bitter or negative person, but it started festering inside me in a very off way... I started therapy and went to a couple of therapists who didn’t work out. So, I was confused again. I then found someone who really allowed me to speak. She did diagnose me with mild depression at that point in time, which is very circumstantial.”
Mild depression may go unnoticed; don't miss these warning symptoms to watch out for. The symptoms of mild depression are similar to that of clinical depression but are milder in nature: from difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep to bouts of sadness or apathy.
‘Your body is in flight-or-fight mode’
In the same interview, Arjun also opened up about how he has 'always' faced some physical and health struggle or the other. Arjun said, “I haven’t always opened up about it, but I also have Hashimoto’s disease (the autoimmune disease damages the thyroid gland), which is an extension of thyroid. Its almost like I can take a flight and gain weight because the body goes in distress... your body is in flight-or-fight mode. That (Hashimoto’s disease) happened to be when I was 30 and I defied it and I said, 'No, this can't be'. My mom (Mona Shourie Kapoor) used to have it and my sister (Anshula Kapoor) also has it... If I look back today, I can see myself and my body changing through the course of my films. Now that is 2015-16, that's seven-eight years of me holding that physical trauma and then my films not panning out at the same time,” he said.
What is Hashimoto’s disease?
According to National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder that can cause hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid; rarely, the disease can cause hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid. Thyroid hormones control how your body uses energy, so they affect nearly every organ in your body — even the way your heart beats, according to NIDDK.
NIDDK lists the common symptoms as:
◉ Fatigue
◉ Weight gain
◉ Trouble tolerating cold
◉ Joint and muscle pain
◉ Constipation
◉ Dry skin or dry, thinning hair
◉ Heavy or irregular menstrual periods or fertility problems
◉ Slowed heart rate
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