Mental health experts agree with Neena Gupta's advice on friendship (Image: Instagram/neena_gupta)There are some things you just can’t say to family, but friends? For veteran actress Neena Gupta, that space is invaluable. Speaking to We Are Yuva, Gupta poured her heart out: “Friends apke budhape ka khazana hai. Mere mental health ko bachane me mere friends ka bahot hath hai.” (Friends are the treasure of your old age. My friends have played a very big role in protecting my mental health.)Opening up about her own life, she added, “Kyunki aap agar baat nahi karenge ghut ghut ke hi apko problem hota hai. Mreko kisi ne bola tu itna sab kuch sabko bata deti ho, wo kahi aur bata de, to bata dein. Mai khulke hi batati hu. So it’s very, very important to have friends whom you can talk to. Aap apne husband se nahi kar sakte, unse kar sakte hain. Ap apne bachcho se nahi kar sakte hain.” (Because if you don’t talk, you end up suffocating inside, and that creates problems. Someone once told me, ‘You share everything with everyone, what if they tell others?’ Let them. When I share, I do it openly. It’s very, very important to have friends you can talk to. Things you can’t say to your husband, you can say to them. Things you can’t say to your children, you can say to them.)Her words tap into a quiet truth many people feel but don’t always say out loud—the relief of having someone you can speak to freely, without filters or roles.According to Dr Abhinit Kumar, Senior Consultant- Psychiatry, ShardaCare-Healthcity, that kind of openness is not just comforting—it’s essential for mental well-being. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sanya Batra | Travel & Lifestyle (@insanyaty) The quiet role friends play in mental healthAccording to Dr Kumar, friendships in later life are not just important—they’re essential. As he explains, “Old age friends are indispensable to mental health.”With time, social circles naturally shrink—children move out, work relationships fade, and life slows down. In that phase, friends often become a steady emotional anchor. They offer not just company, but also a sense of belonging and purpose. In fact, as the doctor points out, loneliness can be deeply damaging—“as harmful to health as smoking.”That’s what makes these connections so valuable. They keep the mind engaged, the heart lighter, and life feeling meaningful.Story continues below this adThis also ties into why friendships feel different from family bonds. While family comes with roles and responsibilities, friendships often come with freedom. As Dr Kumar notes, “Friends hold a special place in the heart that cannot always be filled by family.”There’s less pressure to appear strong or composed. Instead, there’s space to be honest—without worrying about being a burden. “You are free to talk, without the fear of being a burden or a source of distress. Freedom is very therapeutic,” he explains, highlighting how emotional openness itself can be healing. Psychiaytrist Dr Abhinit Kumat says that Neena’s attitiude refelects that she has attained a high and desirable degree of emotional maturity (Image: Express Archive)Why being open with friends signals emotional strengthThat openness—something Neena Gupta also embraces when she says she speaks “khulke”—isn’t just a personality trait. It’s a sign of deeper emotional security.“It informs us much,” Dr Kumar says, referring to people who don’t hesitate to share their thoughts with friends. Such individuals, he explains, have developed a stable sense of self, one that isn’t overly dependent on others’ opinions.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Diva throwback: Five glamorous pictures of a young Neena GuptaThis kind of ease reflects emotional maturity, strong interpersonal bonds, and a level of self-awareness that prioritises connection over fear. In clinical terms, it’s also “a powerful indicator of good mental health.”So, Neena Gupta’s philosophy about friendships is absolutely on point. Friendships aren’t just social bonds; they’re deeply sustaining. And sometimes, simply having people you can talk to openly is what keeps you emotionally afloat.