In a candid revelation, Democratic Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has shared his fears that his political career would come to a halt following his admission to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for depression treatment.
During a segment on NBC's "Meet the Press" aired on Sunday, Fetterman recounted the moment his treatment location was disclosed. "Well, when when it got released where I was and where it was going, it was it was a big story," he said. "And so, I had assumed that that would be the end of my career. And I dont know what that what kind of impact that would have on my family or anything, so I I really didnt know what would happen at that point."
Kristen Welker of NBC had queried the senator about his concerns over openly discussing his mental health and depression struggles, particularly in light of the news last February that he had sought treatment at Walter Reed.
Fetterman expressed his hope that his openness could potentially influence others' decisions. "And it would be my goal to if somebody could hear this kind of a message and this conversation that were having might make a different choice," he told Welker. "And thats why Im sure I never thought at any point in my life that it would be a career boon to talk about these kinds of topics."
The senator emphasized his desire for honesty, stating, "But I I wanted to be fully honest and to let everybody if theyre being honest about themselves, if theyre living in a blue county or a red county, either its themselves, or they know somebody or love somebody that struggle from this kind of an issue."
In February, Fetterman checked into Walter Reed for a six-week depression treatment program. He confided to Welker about his "dark conversations" concerning self-harm, which led him to seek help. He also recalled a particularly "very dark" period in December 2022 when he was unable to get out of bed.
"People hear all their lives about I cant get out of bed, and you really cant understand what that really means. You cant get out of bed until it happens to you. And it did," he shared with Welker, referring to the December 2022 episode that happened just before his swearing-in ceremony.
Fetterman, who serves on the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, aims to "expand the awareness" about mental health struggles and dismantle the stigma associated with seeking help for depression and mental health.
"And I would say to the biggest skeptic in the world: I was that person. Oh, its not going to work. Its not going to change. This is how Ive always been," he said. "But I was wrong. And it does work. And if it can work for me because I was absolutely convinced that there is no coming back then that means, I think, it would be applicable to 99% of people out there that could hear this."
Nearly a year after his admission to Walter Reed, Fetterman has pledged to continue advocating for mental health to assist others grappling with similar health challenges.
"Its a risk that I wanted to take because I wanted to help people and know that I dont want them to suffer the way or put any kinds of despair that Ive been in. And if that conversation helps, then thats Im going to continue to do that," the Pennsylvania Democrat concluded.
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