Ira Khan says her depression is partly genetic: ‘There’s history of mental health issues my mom and dad’s sides'

Ira Khan has also said that she blames herself for her depression, adding that she grew up believing she needs to be sad for people to love her.

Ira Khan has said that she blames herself for her depression, and added that her depression is also 'partly genetic'. She was speaking to ETimes in an interview when she opened up on how she grew up believing that she needs to be sad to be loved. Aamir Khan's daughter Ira has often talked about her mental health and has even opened a wellness centre for mental health and wellness. (Aamir Khan and Reena's divorce)

Aamir Khan with his daughter Ira Khan.(Instagram )

‘Genetic’ depression

Talking about her depression, Ira told the English daily, "Depression is a little complicated. It is partly genetic, partly psychological, and social. In my case, it is partly genetic. There is a history of mental health issues in my family on my mom and dad’s side. My therapist said that one of the trigger points was my parents, who handled their divorce as well as they could at that point." Ira is the daughter of Bollywood star Aamir and his first wife, Reena Dutta. She was very young when Reena and Aamir got divorced in 2002.

'Don't blame parents'

Ira added that her parents' divorce was amicable and she does not blame them for her depression. Her parents ensured that divorce was not made out to be a big deal, but she had a perception about the situation which made things seem otherwise. She also said that she blames herself for her depression and that she spent 20 years believing that one needs to be sad for people to love them. Now that she wants to be happy, she has to systematically undo everything, she added.

Ira also revealed that while growing up, she decided that she needed to be 'a slightly broken person' to be loved. "I made this perception by watching a lot of movies. I remember being as young as 8 or 10 years old and telling myself to fake a smile, to repress my feelings… So that I grew up being slightly broken because I believed that only then people will love me. So, I systematically made sure that I turned out to be a depressed person.”

Over the past few years, Ira has opened up about her mental health. She also shares frequent posts about her own mental health issues, as well as tips for managing them.