Deepika Padukone, who had earlier opened up about her battle through depression, broke down in tears on Monday while launching a national public awareness campaign about mental health called 'Dobara Poocho', where she also thanked her mother for her support in getting through the turbulent period in her life.
"Two years back, my family had come to see me. They were about to leave and I was all alone in my bedroom, curled up. My mother walked in and asked if everything was okay, I said yes. She asked again if it was work or something else that was bothering me, I said no. She asked me so many times that I felt myself choking and I broke into tears," Padukone said through tears.
Fighting to sport a smile on her visibly emotional face, the Bollywood beauty expressed her gratitude to her family, especially her mother for being her pillar of strength.
"I want to tell my mother that if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here. Thank you for being with me all through the way. Thank you to my sister, my father and friends who supported my immensely," she added.
Emphasising on the importance of being sensitive towards people suffering from the illness, Padukone dedicated the campaign to those who have survived depression and are still suffering from it while calling on the society to become more sensitive.
"I did not want to be in the situation I was. I wanted to come out of it desperately. As they say that every solution is within your own self, I found the strength within me and also the people I had around who made me believe that I can rely on them," she said.