Not many are comfortable talking about their mental health publicly, but Deepika Padukone has been one of the few celebrities who has openly spoken about her struggle and the way to deal with it at multiple occasions. She also founded The Live Laugh Love Foundation in 2015 to spread awareness about mental health and to fight the stigma against it.

Elle India recently shared a letter written by Deepika just before her wedding where she had talked about her struggles with mental health and also encouraged people to seek help for their problems.

Elle India shared Deepika’s note on Instagram along with a caption that read, “A few days before her wedding Deepika Padukone wrote a letter addressing her struggle with anxiety and depression, for our 22nd Anniversary Issue. By publicly talking about her own battles, she empowered many to reach out and seek help. Her letter is full of empathy and kindness, a reminder that (in the words of Stephen Fry) “it will be sunny one day.”

A few days before her wedding @deepikapadukone wrote a letter addressing her struggle with anxiety and depression, for our 22nd Anniversary Issue. By publicly talking about her own battles, she empowered many to reach out and seek help. Her letter is full of empathy and kindness, a reminder that (in the words of Stephen Fry) “it will be sunny one day”. Swipe through to read the full letter. . Link in bio. @tlllfoundation . 📷: @errikosandreouphoto . #deepikapadukone #mentalhealthawareness #ELLEvate #BeMoreELLE #ELLEDecember #anniversaryissue

41.9k Likes, 63 Comments – ELLE India (@elleindia) on Instagram: “A few days before her wedding @deepikapadukone wrote a letter addressing her struggle with anxiety…”

In her letter, Deepika wrote, “As some of you know, in the summer of 2014, I was diagnosed with anxiety and clinical depression. Fortunately, timely professional help coupled with the support of caregivers around me empowered me towards the path of recovery.”

Stressing on the need for people to come out and speak about mental illness, she added, “You are not alone. One in three or five persons feels depression. It’s going to be the next big epidemic to hit our country.”

She has also mentioned how her Live Laugh Love Foundation aims at creating awareness about mental health. “The Foundation runs flagship programs to create awareness and reduce the stigma. We also fund organizations working in the field of mental health, commission research and conduct large-scale nation-wide public awareness campaigns,” the message read.

“To anyone who sees darkness, I would like to say that you are not alone and that help is always available,” she added.