Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) spoke with NPR upon his return to Congress.
He was in the hospital for months to be treated for depression. While speaking to NPR, Fetterman said he was not the Senator that Pennsylvania deserved while he was in the hospital for these treatments.
Fox News reports that Fetterman stated that his doctors at the time indicated that to help treat his depression, he should stay away from the news and social media while working on his depression.
Fetterman was also unable to serve in his total capacity at the beginning of his term as a freshman Senator from Pennsylvania because he had suffered a stroke earlier in the year. Despite this, NPR seemed to want to spin this into a positive. The interview with NPR began with praise for Fetterman for his transparency regarding his mental health issues. NPR stated:
Fettermans public acknowledgment of his own mental health struggles is rare for politicians, even as depression has become an increasingly common challenge for Americans.
The report from the public radio station continued: With his transparency, Fetterman has created a platform for discussing mental health issues, and encouraged other politicians to share their own stories.
NPR then asked Fetterman how he felt about returning to the Senate. He replied with a smile and stated that he had missed his time in the Senate. He said he was ready to work in the Senate yet again. However, even Fetterman recognized that his health problems had derailed him from truly being able to serve Pennsylvania in the total capacity that he otherwise would have been able to:
And when I was in the throes of depression, if I was being 100% honest, I was not the kind of senator that was deserved by Pennsylvanians. I wasnt the kind of partner I owe to my wife, Gisele, or my children, Karl, Grace, and August. said Fetterman.
Fetterman gave details about the extent of his depression by saying:
I was so depressed that I didnt even realize I was depressed. I didnt even understand it. This, to me, just became the new normal. I wasnt realizing [that] I wasnt eating. I didnt realize that I wasnt really drinking much.
He also went on to say: I dropped 25 pounds. And sometimes I would say incoherent things and become kind of just [disoriented], and getting lost walking around in Washington.
Fetterman finally also admitted that he had hesitation about being treated for depression. Despite what some outlets might say, Fetterman was not all in on being treated for his condition.
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