Mahira Khan has opened up about her mental health struggle for the first time and being diagnosed with manic depression by a psychiatrist. The actor revealed in a recent interview with FWhy Podcast that she learned to face her mental health struggles, especially after stepping into Bollywood with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees, and the 2017 incident, where pictures of her smoking with actor Ranbir Kapoor emerged online. Reflecting on that time, the actor revealed she dealt with immense backlash, calling it ‘unexpected’. “That (backlash) brought out the anxiety and depression hidden inside me. That was a hard time for me. I felt attacked. The constant backlash… You are getting mean tweets, and comments on their channels (Indian channels). That was a time my faith broke and I developed severe anxiety to the point that one day I had a panic attack and fainted. That was the first time I went to therapy. But that didn’t work out, as I went to several therapists… that year was rough… I couldn’t sleep, my hands used to shake.” Mahira added she has been on antidepressants for the past 6-7 years. She said she tried leaving them in the middle but ‘went into a very dark space’. Mahira also said that this is the first time she is opening up about the fact that she has been taking medication for so many years.