Imran Khan Opens Up With His Mental Health Battle After Leaving Bollywood: 'I Felt Damaged Inside'

Imran Khan has been vocal about his mental health battle. In a recent interview, the actor yet again talked about dealing with depression after his decision to quit Bollywood in 2015. Imran shared that his decision to quit films was not because of the box office failures but because he “simply couldn’t be bothered to invest the time, energy and effort required to stay in this profession”.

“I felt damaged on the inside, and I wanted to fix that. If you pull a hamstring, you go to the physiotherapist. You don’t feel good mentally? Seek therapy,” he continued.

Imran then opened up about seeking therapy and revealed that he has been visiting a therapist four times a week for the last seven years. He called it a ‘defining decision’ and added, “If you speak to someone who has given up an addiction or gone off alcohol, they could tell you the exact number of days they’ve been sober. It’s the same for me with my mental health. It’s been 2,500 days since I started my analysis on March 13, 2017.”

It was in September 2023 that Imran Khan first opened up about dealth with depression when he also admitted that he had attempted self-harm. “We all have scars, old wounds that still ache. But love heals. Love is empowering and uplifting, and if you are fortunate enough to receive the kind of love that I have, I think it starts to fill in those scars. It covers you in a layer of protective armor. You may never fully grasp the extent to which your love empowers me, but know that I am grateful,” he had written.

Imran Khan is known for movies like Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, Delhi Belly, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, I Hate Luv Storys and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu among others. He was last seen in the 2015 movie Katti Batti.

Disclaimer: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata).