Bollywood icon Alia Bhatt, who became a mother in 2022, once spoke about seeking therapy while opening up about her journey through motherhood, emphasizing the importance of tending to her mental health.
Alia Bhatt doesn’t mince her words and has always been candid about sharing aspects of her life beyond her work in cinema.
Be it her relationship with her husband Ranbir Kapoor, her daughter Raha Kapoor, or her fitness routine, the Gangubai Kathiawadi actor has often been open about her personal life, including her mental health journey and seeking therapy.
Alia Bhatt Shared Challenges Of Motherhood
In a 2023 interview with Vogue India, Alia, then a new mom, opened up about her journey through motherhood, emphasizing the importance of tending to her mental health. Since welcoming her daughter Raha in November 2022, Alia shared that she has been attending therapy sessions to navigate the challenges of new motherhood, describing it as an “ever-evolving, ever-growing process.”
The Student of the Year alum also acknowledged the significance of addressing the “healthy amount of mom guilt” many new mothers encounter.
“I’m always wondering what people are thinking. Do they actually think I’m managing well, or are they only saying it to placate me? Even if there isn’t judgment, you feel very critical of yourself. But I work hard on my mental health — I go to therapy every week where I voice these fears.
And it helps me understand that this is not something that I will be able to figure out on day one or five or even ten; it’s an ever-evolving, ever-growing process. You have to be able to pick up the pieces of yourself and build anew every day. There’s nothing like, ‘Oh, I’ve got it together… I’m coping excellently… I have all the answers.’ No one has all the answers,” the 2 States actor shared.
Discussing her experiences further, in a separate interview with journalist Barkha Dutt on Mojo, Alia shared that her weekly therapy sessions have provided a space to express her fears and come to terms with the absence of a definitive guidebook on parenting. She emphasized that it is crucial to “be able to pick up the pieces of yourself and build anew every day.”
Beyond her experiences as a mother, Alia also spoke about her long-standing struggle with body image issues. The public scrutiny that comes with her profession led to immense pressure to maintain a certain image and “tick certain boxes.”
Alia sought therapy during the lockdown as a means to take care of her mental well-being. In doing so, she has become more aware of her anxieties surrounding weight and has actively worked towards confronting them in a healthier manner.
“That’s a struggle that’s been constant. Everyone around me would see it, but I would not see it,” said Alia, adding, “When I started therapy, I did it just as a hygiene thing. To take care of my body, I go to the gym; I need to take care of my mind as well. It’s something I started amidst the lockdown when everybody was going through a hard time, and I thought that maybe this would be a good time to start.
I started as a generic thing, but what I discovered through those sessions is that I have so many issues when it comes to… I always knew I was anal when it comes to my weight because I’m facing the camera.
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