Huma Qureshi: There’s huge stigma around mental health, a lot of work needs to be done

Actor Huma Qureshi feels that people are at times shy about talking about mental health, or lack a support system, which is why more initiatives are required to start a conversation among people.

The current scenario, with the Covid-19 cases on the rise, and the two-and-a-half months long lockdown were reason enough for many people to feel stressed, anxious, and even lonely.

Actor Huma Qureshi has started her social media initiative called It’s Neverrr Too Late centered on mental health.

And actor Huma Qureshi agrees and calls all these issues — right from job security to the money in the bank — real.

“People are at home, anxious for the future. When you don’t share or talk about the anxiety, you bottle up, and it keeps getting bigger. There’s a huge stigma around mental health. When we talk about what’s troubling us, whether at work, in your relationship, you could be anxious about money, these are real anxieties that everybody is going through. Naukri rahegi ki nahi, will my savings last enough — you don’t know how long this is going to go on,” the actor shares.

This is why Qureshi has come up with a new series on social media, aiming to begin a conversation about mental health, called It’s Neverrr Too Late.

What adds to the stress is when one sees the problems migrant labourers are going through to reach their home town, she further adds.

“You watch the visuals of those people, and my heart always speaks for the homeless as well. Kahaan hain woh, kaise kar rahe hain. The luxury which thankfully some of us have — a house, four meals a day… after the basics are taken care of, mental health is the most important,” says the 33-year-old.

The actor, however, is quick to add that she’s not claiming to be an expert or anything. “I guess this series is just to spark a conversation, dialogue and give people some amount of hope. I am also looking at in a way that I am also learning and sharing, we are in this journey together,” she maintains.

Over the years, many celebs apart from Qureshi, such as Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt have been vocal about the importance of not ignoring one’s mental health. Does Qureshi feel that has led to some of the stigma shedding away?

She quips that a lot of work still needs to be done. “A lot of people feel the need to speak to somebody,” tells us Qureshi, “but are very shy about it. Sometimes, they don’t have the support system, whether it’s family at home, nobody acknowledges it’s important. Whether it’s men or women… even a lot of men are anxious about the future, how will they be able to provide for their family. I feel this time, the lockdown, will come up with it’s own set of anxieties that may have got compounded. It’s important to talk and address it.”

Follow @htshowbiz for more