Archive · 11 Nov 2025
Vijay Varma Details Childhood Trauma, Depression, and Anxiety Battle
Actor Vijay Varma talked about feeling very sad and worried for a long time.
He explained that when he was a kid, his dad wanted him to be a certain way, like choosing a specific job, which made Vijay feel bad.
Because of this, he left home when he was younger and felt guilty.
Later, during a time when everyone was alone, his sadness got worse.
His friend Ira Khan helped him get active and start talking to a therapist.
The therapist said he had severe depression and anxiety.
Vijay learned that even if you think you've forgotten sad things from when you were little, your body remembers.
He also said that these old hurts can make it hard to love someone as an adult because love might feel scary.
Experts explain that these old feelings can come out as anger or sadness later, and healing means understanding these patterns, maybe with a therapist's help, and learning to trust again.
Actor Vijay Varma spoke about his struggles with severe depression and anxiety, attributing them to unresolved childhood trauma and a challenging relationship with his father.
Varma detailed how his father's expectations regarding his career and life caused conflict, leading him to leave home at a young age and feel guilty about it.
His mental health issues intensified during the pandemic lockdown, leading to emotional breakdowns during physical activities and therapy.
He was supported by Ira Khan, who encouraged him to exercise, and subsequently began therapy, where he was diagnosed.
An expert explained that childhood trauma impacts adult relationships and emotional well-being, with the body often holding onto unprocessed pain that can be released through healing practices.
- Who
- Actor Vijay Varma and existential psychotherapist Gurleen Baruah
- What
- Vijay Varma shared his experiences with severe depression and anxiety, linking them to unresolved childhood trauma and a difficult relationship with his father. An expert explained how childhood trauma impacts adult relationships and emotional health.
- When
- During a podcast interview and discussed through an expert's commentary on the impact of childhood trauma.
- Where
- Not specified where the podcast took place, but the discussion centers on personal and psychological experiences.
- Why
- Varma sought to understand and share his journey of overcoming mental health challenges rooted in his past, and the expert provided insights into the psychological mechanisms of trauma.
Vijay Varma's Perspective
Expert Explanation on Trauma
Source of Trauma
Vijay Varma's Perspective
Vijay Varma attributes his mental health struggles primarily to a complex and difficult relationship with his father, stemming from unmet expectations and controlling behavior during his upbringing.
Expert Explanation on Trauma
Childhood hurt rarely disappears, but changes form, often manifesting as adult patterns like anger, numbness, people-pleasing, perfectionism, control, or 'checking out' in relationships. The body and nervous system may remain on guard, scanning for old dangers.
Impact on Adult Relationships
Vijay Varma's Perspective
Unresolved trauma influences adult love patterns, leading individuals to repeat familiar dynamics and push people away because love becomes associated with fear due to early relationship failures.
Expert Explanation on Trauma
Early 'maps' of love and safety can lead to repeating familiar dynamics, such as pursuing distance, clinging, or choosing partners who recreate the past. Healing involves awareness, naming patterns, and learning to stay in relationships with trust and gentleness.
Emotional Release During Healing
Vijay Varma's Perspective
Vijay Varma experienced intense emotional releases, including crying for hours during physical activity and therapy, stemming from buried childhood pain he didn't consciously understand.
Expert Explanation on Trauma
The body stores unprocessed trauma as physical sensations. Movement, breathwork, or therapy can 'thaw' these frozen parts, leading to emotional release like crying or trembling as the body integrates what words could not express.
- Individual
- Vijay Varma
- Mental Health Conditions
- Severe Depression and Anxiety
- Contributing Factors
- Unresolved childhood trauma, difficult father-son relationship, loneliness during pandemic lockdown, struggles in the film industry.
- Support System
- Ira Khan (encouraged physical activity and therapy), Therapy
- Impact of Trauma
- Difficulty in adult love life, repeating unhealthy patterns, emotional distress, physical manifestations of unprocessed pain.