Earlier this month, Samantha Ruth Prabhu opened up about her struggle with the autoimmune condition of Myositis. Now, Bollywood director Vikram Bhatt has also decided to be candid about a chronic illness he has been facing for the past 18 years, a condition called Fibromyalgia.
In a recent interview with Bombay Times Bhatt shared that it has been a difficult journey for him as he has been constantly ‘manage’ his flare-ups. However, he stated that there is no cure for Fibromyalgia and said that it was Samantha who encouraged him to be honest about his condition.
He said, “I want to reach out to Samantha and tell her that if I can make it, so can you. I am so glad she spoke up. Hiding takes as much strength as fighting the pain.”
Mr Bhatt also pointed out that earlier no one was able to diagnose his medical condition as he and others tried to cure the ‘symptoms’ of the condition separately — depression, severe headaches etc. He also shared that he would visit the physiotherapist as well, but to no avail, as body pain continued to haunt him until a doctor friend finally diagnosed him correctly.
The director also said that he tries to avoid undue stress, get his 7-8 hours of sleep and doesn’t drink or smoke to avoid any kind of flare-up.
Vikram Bhatt also opened up about meditation and revealed that it helped him deal with the disease better. Apart from spirituality and a better lifestyle, it was good writing that helped Vikram keep going.
He said, “There were two poems that helped me immensely while coping with this health condition. One was Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s Agnipath, and the other was Invictus, the poem that kept Nelson Mandela alive in prison. Not only alive but gave him hope and determination. I know these poems by heart.”
Further, into the discussion, Vikram Bhatt lauded other celebrities as well who had opened up about their battles with various diseases. He lauded Deepika Padukone for speaking about depression but added that it is important for successful people to speak up about these things. Interestingly, he also wanted others to follow suit so those suffering from illnesses can take heart in others’ courage.
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