Singer Amaal Mallik shocked many his latest Instagram post, where he made the revelation that he has been clinically depressed for a while. He penned a long note sharing that he has chosen to cut ties with his parents as they contributed to disturbing his well-being and self-confidence in the last few years. Fans took to social media to praise the singer for coming out with the truth and wished him well. (Also read: Why Netflix’s Adolescence is a wake-up call to society)

What Amaal said

In the note, Amaal said, “I’ve reached a point where I can no longer keep silent about the pain I’ve endured. For years, I’ve been made to feel like I am less in spite of spending days and nights toiling away to make a safe life for people. Cancelled every dream of mine to only find myself to be spoke down to and question what I’ve ever done. I have spent my blood, sweat & tears to create each of the 126 melodies that have released over the last decade.”

‘I just kept marching on’

He went on to say, “Through the last many years they have left no opportunity to disturb my well being & belittle all my friendships, my relationships, my mindset, my self confidence. But I just kept marching on because I know I can and I believe I’m unshakable.”

The note continued, “But today I stand at a point where I have been robbed of my peace, drained emotionally & maybe financially too but that’s the least of my concerns. What really matters is that I am clinically depressed because of these happenings. Yes I have only myself to blame for my actions but my self worth has been diminished countless times by actions of near and dear ones that stole pieces of my soul.”

He concluded by adding, “From now on, my interactions with my family will be strictly professional. This isn’t a decision made in anger, but one born from the necessity to heal and reclaim my life. I refuse to let the past rob me of my future any longer. I am committed to rebuilding my life, piece by piece, with honesty and strength.”

Reactions to Amaal’s post

Amaal’s post also surfaced on Reddit, after which several users on the platform reacted to the revelations. One user commented, “More power to him. May he recover well and keep up with his passion for music. Hoping others going through the same to take a stand for themselves and do everything possible to heal from such deep scars. No child deserves this man!!”

A second user wrote, “Younger child will always be the parents’ favourite and the elder one is always asked to adjust and compromise from childhood itself..” A comment read, “This is so sad! Feeling betrayed by your own family is the worst ever… you can never completely distance yourself from them no matter how toxic and abusive it gets.” Another user agreed, and said, “Parents often do this. Not all, but most. They do have a favourite child, and the elder one is the one who always almost bears the brunt. More power to you Amaal!”

Amaal is the elder son of Daboo Malik and Jyothi Malik, and brother to singer Armaan Malik. He is also the nephew of Bollywood music composer Anu Malik. He made his debut with three songs for Salman Khan’s Jai Ho.