Alia Bhatt's Sister Shaheen Opens Up on Her Battle With Suicidal Thoughts Following Bourdain's Death

Actress Alia Bhatt's sister Shaheen Bhatt has opened up about her own struggle with depression in the wake of last week’s reported suicides of fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. In an article for Vogue magazine, Shaheen revealed that she had lived with depression on and off since she was about 12 years old. She added more to her thoughts, writing she had been "suicidal on more than one occasion."

"I've experienced the sheer terror of contemplating a life filled with unrelenting anguish, and I've been consumed by the terrifying thought of having but a single means of escape from a bleak, unbearable future," read an excerpt from Shaheen's article.

Shaheen's article also mentioned about Bourdain's death and how her eyes "filled with tears" after she read the news of his death.

"I love Bourdain, I’ve been a fan of his ever since I read Kitchen Confidential. I marvelled at his no-nonsense screen presence, his natural humour and his effortless ability to turn the foods he was eating into almost living, breathing characters. I love Bourdain, but that wasn’t the only reason I was crying. I was crying because every time I hear of someone who was unable to go on living with the darkness within them, I’m reminded of how that could have just as easily been me."

Shaheen further encouraged those suffering in silence to start communicating as "talking about depression is no longer an option, it’s a matter of life and death."

"Every day that we shy away from the subject, someone plunges further into their depressive hole, isolating themselves and believing they’re freaks. Every minute that we continue to stay silent we lose one more person to the horrors of depression and suicide. Every second that we choose comfort over reality we fail another Anthony and another Kate," she concluded.

Alia also took to Twitter to commend her sister for speaking up. She wrote: "Shaheen you are brilliant! My sister has battled and lived with depression since she was 12. She speaks her heart out and without any hesitation addresses the giant elephant in the room - Mental health and the LACK of our understanding & acceptance!"