A suicide and crisis hotline for mental health: Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for clinical depression
If a person you know is struggling with mental health please call the suicide and crisis hotline at 988 to connect with a counselor or visit 988lifeline.org.
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center “to receive treatment for clinical depression,” his chief of staff announced on Thursday.
The statement from Fetterman’s chief of staff announcing the news said, “After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself.”
“After what he’s been through in the past year, there’s probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John. I’m so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs,” she tweeted.
Fetterman was hospitalized again last week after feeling light-headed at the Democratic Senate retreat. Doctors ruled out that there was another stroke after testing and observation.
“Back in 2010, I was hospitalized for depression. I would not be alive, let alone in Congress, were it not for mental health care,” Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said on Twitter. “A lot of Americans are rooting for you, Senator.”
Adam Jentleson, Chief of staff, said that John has experienced depression all his life but it only became severe in the last few weeks.
Senator Ted Cruz and his wife have asked for privacy in advocating for mental health access in the House of Representatives, Tina Smith, during the 2018 Kansas City election
He is dealing with issues related to hearing. Fetterman is accompanied by aides around the Capitol who use a mobile device that translates voice to text using closed captioning.
It is generally rare for sitting officials to acknowledge receiving treatment for mental health conditions. A recent example is Tina Smith, a senator from Minnesota, who discussed depression in her 30s in a floor speech in support of legislation to increase mental health access.
Jason Kander, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, dropped out of the 2018 Kansas City mayor’s race due to his struggles with PTSD and depression.
Ted Cruz and his wife were lifting John up in prayer. The senator’s wife Heidi Cruz has spoken about her past battles with depression, and their teenage daughter has acknowledged experiencing mental health issues.
Cruz said that he hopes that Fetterman gets the care he needs. Please respect his family’s request for privacy, regardless of which side of the political aisle you are on.
Depression is a mental health problem in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 8% of U.S. adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2020.
There are symptoms that include feelings of sadness and emptiness, inability to focus, and thoughts of death or suicide. But it’s a treatable condition, says Dr. Rebecca Brendel, president of the American Psychiatric Association.
She said that there are many different kinds of treatments, ranging from medications that include psychotherapy to other changes to behavior and focus on nutrition.