From Darkness to Direction – My Real Battle with Depression
There was a time when my name didn’t carry the titles it does today — Nutritionist, Psychiatric Nutritionist, Author, Entrepreneur, Founder and Member of Santoshpur Tribal Development and Human Watch Society.
Back then, I was just a girl trying to smile through her pain… and failing silently.
Hiding my depression
Depression crept into my life quietly. It didn’t announce itself with drama — it came in the form of sleepless nights, sudden breakdowns, emotional numbness, and a haunting silence that followed me even in crowded rooms.
I used to ask myself, “Why me?” I had a loving family, I was academically sound, I had dreams — and yet, I was lost. The pressure to be “fine”, the mental toll of dealing with PCOS, body image struggles, heartbreak, expectations, and constantly proving myself — all of it started piling up.
The worst part? I was good at hiding it. Too good.
Quietly drowning
People saw a smiling Debangana. But they didn’t see the panic attacks, the self-doubt, or the nights when I questioned my worth and purpose. I stopped eating properly, I stopped writing, and I felt like my identity was slipping through my fingers. I was drowning… quietly.
But something inside me — maybe the same voice that whispers to the broken, “You’re not done yet” — told me to fight back. I started small.
I picked up books on food and mental health. I went back to my roots — my love for people, for service. I turned to my sister, my mother, my father — who didn’t just support me, they saw me.
And from that point, Debangana Banerjee began to rebuild.
Finding my voice
I became a Nutritionist — not just for the body, but for the mind too. I studied Psychiatric Nutrition to understand myself better, and to help others heal through food and lifestyle.
I founded and dedicated myself to the Santoshpur Tribal Development and Human Watch Society, where helping others became a part of my own recovery. I wrote — not for fame, but for freedom. And slowly, step by step, I found my strength again.
Today, I proudly stand tall with awards, recognitions, a thriving career, and most importantly — a story that is mine. My depression didn’t defeat me. It shaped me. And if you’re someone reading this while fighting your own shadow — know this:
You are not broken.
You are becoming.