Mumbai: There was a time when actor Uday Chopra's Twitter account was one-stop-solution to get your fill of laughs. From trollable quotes about marijuana to his caustic existential take on life, Chopra was quite an entertainer on social media even if not on the silver screen. 

In a series on now-deleted posts, Chopra hinted at something not being right and even likened de-activating his Twitter account as a good option for suicide. According to a report on Times of India, the actor had shared, “Confession: I am not ok! I am trying but so far I’m failing.” In a second tweet he shared, “For a few hours, I De-activated my twitter account. It felt as close to death as I could get. Was phenomenal! I think this is a good option for suicide. I might be doing it permanently soon." 

Naturally, fans are concerned and posted positive messages for him alluding that depression is not permanent. 

Also read: Mumbai Police clapbacks at actor Uday Chopra over his 'Legalise Marijuana' tweet

Only 10-12% of people suffering from mental health problems in India seek help, according to The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF) survey. TLLLF is a charitable trust, founded in 2015 by Deepika Padukone to create awareness of mental illness and reduce the stigma associated with it. The survey across 8 Indian cities revealed that more than 75% of those surveyed, displayed fear and would like to keep a safe distance from people perceived as having a mental illness. 

Despite the stigma, suffering from mental health issues is more common than you think and getting help is no different than taking a medical opinion for a fractured foot. 
We all experience some of the following symptoms at some point and though it may not necessarily mean you're depressed, seek help if you think you need it or are offered by your friends and family. Equally, not everyone who is experiencing depression will have all of these symptoms.

 Anxiety

It is normal to feel a tad bit of nerves right before an exam or even an important meeting. In fact, the slight giddy feeling helps you perform better. However, anxiety can become a problem if it manifests physically such as nausea, cramps, profuse sweating etc and threatens to impede your daily life. "I have such debilitating anxiety because of everything going on that I literally wake up in the middle of the night with full-on panic attacks," confessed supermodel and depression-survivor Kendall Jenner. Even musician Zayn Malik described his anxiety attacks as  'a constant battle within yourself.' He said, "That's why my anxiety is so upsetting and difficult to explain. It's this thing that swells up and blocks out your rational thought processes. Even when you know you want to do something, know that it will be good for you, that you'll enjoy it when you're doing it, the anxiety is telling you a different story."

Having no will 

There is certain hopelessness accompanied with depression and if you are questioning- Does it even matter if I show up or do something, you need to watch out for this sign.  The late Princess Diana described it as- "You need to get out of bed every day and say that life is good. That's what I did, although at times it was very difficult for me." Back in 2006, Beyoncé disclosed that she suffered from depression after Destiny's Child broke up, "I didn't eat. I stayed in my room. I was in a really bad place in life, going through that lonely period: 'Who am I? Who are my friends?' My life changed."

Disturbed sleeping patterns

Once you feel like you have lost the will to do anything, a victim of depression will end up either spending all day in bed or have debilitating bouts of insomnia, leaving them tired and withdrawn. When pop singer Justin Bieber sought help for depression, it was reportedly his changing sleep patterns that raised a red flag for his wife, Hailey Baldwin.  

Physical manifestations

We humans, at the very least, just need 2 basic things to remain healthy- eat and sleep. Along with sleep, depression also messes with your eating as well as makes you feel physical pains that you cannot really explain. Model Chrissy Teigen described it as "Getting out of bed to get to set on time was painful. My lower back throbbed; my ­shoulders—even my wrists—hurt. I didn't have an appetite. I would go for two days without a bite of food, and you know how big of a deal food is for me." Rapper Eminem has also battled depression and termed it as "I have never felt so much pain in my life. It was tough for me to even get out of bed and I had days when I couldn't walk, let alone write a rhyme." 

Suicidal Thoughts 

With all or some of the aforementioned symptoms getting stronger, the will to live slowly extinguishes and a depressive person just wants to put an end to the misery. A final solution to the mess in your mind, so to say. In an interview with Vogue, Delevingne said, "I was packing my bags, and suddenly I just wanted to end it. I had a way, and it was right there in front of me. And I was like, I need to decide whether I love myself as much as I love the idea of death." Even Olympics swimmer Michael Phelps described the suicidal tendencies as- "I was in the lowest place I've ever been. Honestly, I sort of, at one point, I just, I felt like I didn't want to see another day. I felt like it should be over."