Lifestyle
‘I just had OCD’: Vijay Mallya's son Sidhartha reveals why he quit alcohol 8 years ago
London/IBNS: Sidhartha Mallya, son of businessman Vijay Mallya, has marked eight years since he quit alcohol, opening up about his decision and its connection to his mental health.
In an Instagram reel, Sidhartha reflected on his journey of staying alcohol-free and said the decision was ultimately about taking control of his life and making a lasting change.
"8 years since I stopped drinking. Remember if there is anything you want to change in your life, you have the power to do it. You just have to want it bad enough," he wrote in the caption.
Sidhartha Mallya recalls why he quit drinking
Speaking in the video, Sidhartha said his decision to quit alcohol was linked to the impact drinking had on his anxiety.
"For those of you who don’t know my story, I wasn’t an alcoholic or anything like that. I just had OCD, so whether I had one drink or 10 drinks a night, the anxiety levels the next day were way off the scale," he said.
"So, I quit," he added.
Sidhartha said that over the past eight years, several people have contacted him to say they were inspired by his decision, while others told him they wished they could stop drinking.
"For them, if you want anything bad enough, trust me, you will figure out a way to do it, and you have the strength to make whatever changes you want," he said.
Sidhartha Mallya’s focus on mental health
Mental health has been a recurring theme in Sidhartha's public work. In 2020, he launched the online series 'ConSIDer This', in which he discussed mental health challenges he had experienced and shared his perspective with viewers.
He later wrote the memoir 'If I'm Honest: A Memoir of My Mental Health Journey', published in 2022. According to Penguin Random House India, his work has focused significantly on promoting mental health awareness, particularly among young people.
Sidhartha has previously spoken publicly about his struggles with OCD and mental health, including in interviews around the release of his memoir.
From business to acting and writing
Sidhartha, who was born in the US and raised in Britain, initially pursued a career in business before moving into acting. He trained at London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and later appeared in projects including the Netflix film Brahman Naman.
His career has also included work in the business and entertainment sectors, before he increasingly focused on acting, writing and mental health advocacy.
His latest post marks eight years of an alcohol-free life and continues his broader message about taking deliberate steps towards personal change.
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