Aamir Khan's daughter Ira opens up about having anxiety attacks

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan's daughter Ira Khan says she feels "helpless" after experiencing anxiety attacks "almost every day".  

Ira, who had shared her clinical depression diagnosis in 2020, took to Instagram on Saturday night and posted a lengthy note detailing her struggles with mental health.

"I've started getting anxiety attacks. I've had anxiety. And I used to get overwhelmed. And have crying fits. But I've never had anxiety attacks before," she wrote, adding that she suffers from "palpitations and breathlessness". Plus, crying. And it builds. Slowly. Feels like impending doom. This is what mine feels like..." the 24-year-old said.

The theatre director said she gets anxiety attacks mostly at night and is unable to sleep as she tries to identify her fears and talk herself down.

"My therapist said if it's become regular (context, I had 1 or 2 over 2 months versus almost every day now), I needed to tell my doctor/psychiatrist... It feels pretty helpless. Because I really want to go to sleep (it usually happens at night for me) but I can't because it won't stop. I try to identify my fears and talk myself down. But once it's hit you, I haven't found a way to stop it. You kind of need to ride it out. So far. That's what I've figured."

Ira said talking to her boyfriend, celebrity fitness trainer Nupur Shikhare, has helped her manage anxiety attacks.

"Life's full of variables. If you're trying to be mindful, remember to take them all into account. Hang in there," she added.