Shamita Shetty Needed Year-Long Therapy After Bigg Boss: "I Came Out Highly Anxious"

Shamita Shetty, who participated in Bigg Boss OTT 1 and Bigg Boss 15, recently made a candid revelation about her struggles with mental health after the show.

Shamita Shetty shared that the intense atmosphere inside the Bigg Boss house took a toll on her, leaving her highly anxious and aggressive. To cope with the emotional aftermath, the actress underwent therapy for almost a year. 

"When I came out of Bigg Boss, gosh, I think I needed therapy for a year because I couldn't understand what the hell was going on around me, or how to react in the correct manner," Shamita said in an interview with Pinkvilla. 

Explaining how the house is different from the real world, "See, that's a very volatile environment you're in. That's not how you would react or be in the external world. But you kind of get used to that. For me, I was in that house for about five and a half, probably six months.

"My reality and fiction were kind of getting merged, intertwined with each other, causing a lot of confusion in my head. I didn't know how to be. And I think I was attacked so much in that house that even when I came out, I felt like I was constantly sitting with my armour on, waiting to defend myself.

"Mentally and emotionally, it was very tough for me, when I was in that house, and even after I came out of it. But I'll still say this: that show did a lot for me in the external world, especially in terms of work,” said Shamita Shetty. 

The 46-year-old actor shared how her time inside the house affected her mental health. "I came out highly anxious. I was already suffering from anxiety, so it kind of made it worse for me. I also became a little aggressive when I came out. And I think the house did that to me because I was constantly fighting.

"Imagine, practically every morning, waking up to people screaming at each other over things as small and stupid as toothpaste. It's not a great environment. It disturbs you mentally. It really disturbs you."

Shamita Shetty participated in Bigg Boss OTT 1 on Voot in 2021 and later joined Bigg Boss 15 on Colors TV the same year. The actress finished as the third runner-up of the season.