Psychiatrist Neetu Kapoor Friends Over Therapy Mental Health
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Indian ExpressVerified Publisher
Grief rarely looks neat, logical, or socially acceptable. Some people isolate. Some cry endlessly. Some throw themselves into work. Some lean heavily on the people they trust most. Speaking on the All About Her podcast, Neetu Kapoor opened up about how she coped after losing her husband, Rishi Kapoor. While she tried therapy, Kapoor said what she truly needed was emotional support from people close to her. “I don’t believe in therapists. I believe in friends. You should have four or five friends with whom you can really talk it
. Some cry endlessly. Some throw themselves into work. Some lean heavily on the people they trust most.
Speaking on the All About Her podcast, Neetu Kapoor opened up about how she coped after losing her husband, Rishi Kapoor. While she tried therapy, Kapoor said what she truly needed was emotional support from people close to her. “I don’t believe in therapists. I believe in friends. You should have four or five friends with whom you can really talk it out,” she said.
The actor also revealed that after her husband’s death, she struggled deeply — losing sleep for months, turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism, and eventually seeking medical help when things began feeling unlike her usual self.
Her candid remarks raise a question many people quietly ask during emotional crises: can close friends sometimes offer the kind of support therapy cannot?
According to Dr Kunal Kumar, Senior Consultant, Psychiatry, ShardaCare–Healthcity, emotional support from trusted friends can be deeply healing. “Having supportive friends during grief helps people feel emotionally safe, heard, and less alone.”
“Sharing emotions openly can reduce stress, emotional burden, and feelings of isolation,” the psychiatrist adds.
That emotional safety matters because grief can feel intensely lonely, even when people are physically around you. Friends may offer comfort, reassurance, and help someone slowly reconnect with everyday life.
But Dr Kumar says while many people feel more emotionally comfortable opening up to trusted friends, therapy serves a different purpose.
“It may not fully replace therapy in all situations,” cautions the psychiatrist, adding that therapy becomes especially important when grief starts affecting sleep, daily functioning, relationships, or mental health over a longer period. “Professional therapy can provide structured emotional guidance and coping support.”
Kapoor also spoke about another coping mechanism many grieving people turn to: staying busy. The actress took up several assignments including Jug Jug Jeeyo, Dance Deewane Juniors, and Daadi Ki Shaadi.
She revealed that returning to work helped her regain confidence and pull herself out of a difficult emotional space, even though some people judged her for resuming work soon after her loss.
“After a major emotional loss, work can help people regain structure, routine, and a sense of purpose,” says Dr Kumar. For many people, routine can create emotional grounding when life suddenly feels chaotic and unfamiliar.
“Staying engaged professionally may improve confidence because it creates feelings of productivity, achievement, and emotional stability.”
However using work only to outrun pain can be detrimental. “Overworking to suppress grief may eventually lead to burnout, anxiety, or emotional exhaustion if the underlying emotions remain unaddressed.”
Grief does not follow a universal script. For some, close friends may provide exactly the emotional safety they need. For others, especially when mental health and daily functioning begin to suffer, professional support can be just as important.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.