Archana Puran Singh, who is known for her impeccable comic timings and her many endearing movie roles, has also had to fight demons for decades. The actor, comedian and television personality recently revealed that she has grappled with anxiety. Opening up about her personal battle with the mental health issue, the 61-year-old took to Instagram to write a long and candid post about her experience. “I’m no expert, obviously. But I’ve had experience dealing with it. Learning from it. And managing to reduce its power or grip on me,” Singh wrote, adding that anxiety is sometimes her ‘best friend in doing a job well’, but it also keeps her ‘awake’ when she wants to ‘sleep early’.
“Nonetheless, I don’t focus on it. I choose instead to focus on all the good things that happen every day in my life. I count the number of happy and joyful moments of each day, and that makes my whole day a happy one,” the ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai‘ actor, who is married to actor Parmeet Sethi, added.
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Singh went on to state that she wanted to share her thoughts in the form of an Instagram story, but her son Ayushmaan Sethi insisted she write a post, so as to raise awareness about anxiety, and inspire others to stay strong.
Along with her caption, the actor also wrote a short poem that read, “Today they call it anxiety. Back in my day it was a normal state of being before an exam, an event, a date… Nobody asked us how we felt. We ourselves didn’t question the frequent knot in our stomachs! We just soldiered on. It was just another day, and sometimes an almost constant state of being for long periods of time. I define my life as a very happy one… even through the tough times. You’ll be fine too.”
Her advice to her followers? “Choose to focus on the good moments. The rocky times are for building your character. Let them do their job. You can choose to just count the happy moments. And declare your life to be a happy one.”
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What Is Anxiety?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more women are affected by anxiety disorders than men, and that people living with anxiety may experience ‘excessive fear or worry about a specific situation’ or, in the case of generalised anxiety disorder, about a ‘broad range of everyday situations’. Anxiety-induced fear is typically experienced over ‘an extended period – at least several months’, and people usually avoid situations that make them anxious. Other symptoms of anxiety disorders may include:
- Trouble concentrating or making decisions
- Feeling irritable, tense or restless
- Experiencing nausea or abdominal distress
- Having heart palpitations
- Sweating, trembling or shaking
- Trouble sleeping
- Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
The WHO warns that anxiety disorders can increase the risk for depression and substance use disorders, as well as the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours. As such, psychological interventions are essential treatments for anxiety disorders.