Deepika Padukone posts message about depression following Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain suicides

Deepika Padukone posted a message by her organisation, The Live Love Laugh Foundation, in which the recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain were discussed to explain the stigma attached to the illness.

Deepika Padukone on Tuesday reposted a message by The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF), her organisation that deals with mental health issues. In the post, the recent suicides of designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain have been used as examples to spark a new conversation about the misunderstood ‘illness’.

Deepika Padukone attends the TIME 100 Gala celebrating its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People In The World. (AFP)

“Every 40 seconds a person dies by suicide,” the note begins, quoting WHO statistics. “Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain were pioneers in their fields... and to the outside world they ‘had it all’ and were seemingly ‘happy’”.

But would we ask someone who ‘had it all’ how they broke their foot, or how they met with an accident? That is the question that Deepika poses in the post. “The element of depression that is grossly misunderstood is that you have control over your illness,” the post continues. “Asking someone to ‘snap out of it’ is like telling a person with a broken foot to continue walking.”

The foundation aims to break the stigma surrounding depression and urges those suffering from the illness to communicate their feelings.

Kate Spade, a respected designer, was found dead in her Manhattan apartment on June 5. Her death was ruled a suicide by hanging. She was 55. Her husband later revealed that she had battled depression for years. The US suicide hotline saw a 25% spike in phonecalls following Spade’s death.

On June 8, celebrated chef and TV presenter Anthony Bourdain hanged himself in his hotel room in France. In 2017, iconic rock singers Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington also committed suicide because of depression.

“There’s absolutely no shame if you suffer from depression,” Deepika wrote in a personal piece for Hindustan Times in which she revealed her battle with the disease. “Please don’t hide it, feel angry, think of yourself as weak, or consider it a character flaw. It is not your fault if you are depressed. Acceptance is the first step on the road to recovery.”