Anjuum Faakih reveals she was 'diagnosed with depression': I didn't have work for two years (Exclusive)
I didn't know how to face the paps, or even answer the simple question, 'What are you doing next?' when I genuinely had no answer. I feared being judged… or worse, being laughed at. So, I chose silence,' Anjuum tells us.
'I was diagnosed with
depression
'
The actress who was last seen in
Khatron ke Khiladi
, admits she wasn't 'okay for a long time' mentally while she was on a hiatus. 'I was feeling lost, disconnected… like I was carrying a weight I couldn't name. And no, I don't want to romanticize struggle, but I do want to normalize saying, 'I'm not okay.'
The moment you admit something's wrong is the moment healing begins. That's what I've been doing—step by step, day by day. And now, I'm finally starting to see a little light again,' she recalls.
Anjuum's struggle with depression started when she was 19. 'I didn't fully understand it back then. I just knew something was off. I was eventually diagnosed with depression,' she confesses. Since then 'it's been a long and quiet journey'.
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'It's just waking up and carrying a heaviness you can't explain to anyone. I have lived through that. But I have also lived through the healing, through the support of doctors, medication, friends, and just learning how to be kind to myself on the hard days.
I am sharing this now not because I want sympathy, but because I think it's important to normalise it. To let people know that mental health is real, and managing it doesn't make you weak, it makes you incredibly strong.
If my story helps even one person feel less alone, then I think it's worth saying out loud,' she adds.
'I used up almost all my savings'
In the midst, Anjuum said 'no to a few projects' and maintained distance from work. 'Because I didn't feel like myself. After I gained some weight, I started getting offered roles that didn't feel right. I needed to feel good inside and out before facing the camera again. Sometimes, it's okay to pause and say, 'Not right now.'
I just wanted to return when I could give my 100%,' she shares.
Saying no to work also means halting your daily income, which can become a challenge in the long run. Talking about her finances, she comments, 'I didn't 'manage' I survived. It's been really tough. I used up almost all my savings just to get by. There were days I'd sit staring at my bank app, wondering how much longer I could stretch it. Saying no to work when you're financially strained is terrifying.
But I had to choose between short-term money and long-term peace.
And that choice came at a cost. I'm still figuring it out, but I have faith something will shift.' Did this financial strain affect her peace and confidence? She replies, 'Yes, absolutely. It took a toll on every part of me and my life, my choices, even my confidence. Every time I said no to a project, a part of me panicked. The savings kept going down, and it started showing—in my sleep, my thoughts, my lifestyle. But even in those tough moments, I kept reminding myself: I'd rather wait for the right thing than say yes to something that doesn't feel right. And that belief kept me going.'
The
Kundali Bhagya
actress, will be soon seen in
Chhoriyan Chale Gaon
and is feeling much better now. 'I feel lighter, stronger, more alive. I'm finally in a space where I feel ready. Ready to work, to show up, to live fully again,' she concludes.
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