Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman opened up about his struggle with depression in an interview with The New York Times, saying that he didn’t “even like” himself.
In his interview with the outlet, Fetterman spoke about his first six months in Congress and his battle with depression. Fetterman, who suffered a stroke in May 2022 and has been dealing with depression, shared how he sees himself negatively, though people seem to find him interesting. (RELATED: John Fetterman Bumbles His Way Through Opening Statement At First Hearing Since Senate Return)
“I don’t even like me. That’s the truth,” Fetterman told the outlet in response to a question about why people seemed to find him fascinating, adding that it “doesn’t make any sense” to him.
Fetterman explained to the outlet that his depression is a “burden” and a “privilege” to him.
“It’s also an opportunity to be very bipartisan. Red or blue, if you have depression, get help, please. Don’t ever, ever, ever harm yourself. Do not leave behind a blueprint of that,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman was spotted earlier this week answering questions from people in the hallways of Congress using a tablet that uses voice-to-text dictation. The outlet noted that Fetterman had started using a tablet that can transcribe “voice to text.”
Fetterman taking hallway questions (!!) using a tablet that does voice-to-text dictation in real time pic.twitter.com/AHmxBwUTH4
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) July 25, 2023
Months after winning his senate bid against Republican challenger Dr. Mehmet Oz, Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland in order to receive treatment for his depression.
Prior to his return to the Capitol, Fetterman said during an interview with CBS News that he had “stopped leaving” his bed and “stopped eating” and lost a lot of weight, which necessitated his admittance into the hospital.