After writing yesterday aboutthe refusal of Mike Pence to tell the truth and testify about Jan 6, I’ve been struck by the decision of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman to publicly acknowledge—with such candor—that he’s suffering from clinical depression and has checked in to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to get help. “While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,” Adam Jentleson, his chief of staff, said in a statement.
It’s not hard to imagine a different politician fearing the public revelation of his condition and its affect on his reputation. There may be no more obvious historical example than Thomas Eagleton, the running mate of 1972 presidential nominee George McGovern, dropping out of the race after news broke that he had been hospitalized and sought psychiatric care and electric shock treatment for exhaustion and depression.
In those days, the revelation that a public figure could need such treatment was astonishing and scandalous for many, which explains why Eagleton chose to keep his history a secret, even from the McGovern campaign. (Nonetheless, he continued serving as Missouri senator and was reelected twice.)
While the Fetterman announcement was surprising, it follows his pattern of acknowledging health struggles. On a daily basis, Pennsylvania voters and the country witnessed his efforts to recover from a stroke he suffered in May, a health episode that he articulated right away. The decision to continue campaigning while recovering—and the respect his courage engendered—may be why voters stuck with him and he won his race.
But does his current announcement of his mental health challenges—and respectful responses from politicians on both sides of the aisle—convince you there’s been a shift? Recall that Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, an Iraq war veteran, did not disclose that he was treated for PTSD until he had already served six years as a Congressman. When Arizona Rep. and Iraq war veteran Reuben Gallego told of similar treatment early in his tenure, he endured public wrath from some quarters: “People have said that my PTSD is rage-filled, and that I can’t be trusted in government.”
(I think it’s legitimate to raise the issue of whether one’s mental health affects one’s ability to perform the job; just as that was a fair question with the obviously unfit Senate candidate Herschel Walker, it should be a fair question with John Fetterman in the months ahead were he to struggle to do his work.)
So here’s today’s prompt: Have we progressed as a nation by more openly acknowledging and addressing mental health struggles? Or do you think it remains a stigma and most high-profile political figures will continue to hide it? Note that the Center for Disease Control estimates that one in five Americans will experience a mental health illness in a given year.
As always, I look forward to reading your opinions—and the chance for this community to learn from each other. Please do be respectful in your responses.
Mr. Fetterman is fierce and incredibly brave to reveal this struggle.I have no qualms about him serving, in any capacity he chooses. I have more fear about someone like DFG serving with severe, obvious, but not formally diagnosed, mental issues. If his family cared about him even a little, they’d have encouraged him to seek treatment. DFG and the flunkies who enable him, are much more dangerous.
I’m a licensed therapist and I cannot keep up with new client inquiries. Because my practice is specialized to support neurodiverse couples, I’ve created a series of online courses for couples in an effort to provide information and guidance beyond the limits of my weekly schedule. I also write articles in my area of specialization. These are my ways of trying to be helpful when I know I can’t increase my clinical load. But it’s not just my practice that is like this. Every therapist I know is busy to capacity with wait lists. This suggests two things to me: there is an increased recognition and acceptance of the need for counseling support in the lives of individuals and couples, and also that people are are actually struggling more than they were in the past. The most common themes that arise in sessions relate to generalized anxiety due to the divisive political and social environment in today’s world, and challenges regarding sex, which makes sense as an indicator of how lonely and disjointed so many feel their lives are these days. I just don’t think there are enough providers to meet the rapidly growing need for mental health support in this country.
How can any conscious person not be depressed in today’s political and social environment? Why would depression disqualify a person from holding public office? Depression seems to me the appropriate response to life in the United States at this time. Is being mean or cruel considered to be mental illness? It should be, but judging by some members of Congress, it doesn’t seem to be a disqualifier.
I'm not sure I'd use Herschel Walker as any kind of mental health comparison. The difference is that Walker will not acknowledge there's a problem. Fetterman is an honest and honorable man who faces his struggles in ways more of us should consider with our own.
We won't be shaking our heads over Fetterman, wondering what daffy thing he'll do next, as we did too often with Herschel Walker. Instead, we'll know without a doubt that John is in control of his mental illness. When it gets out of hand, he knows what to do.
Stigma? Absolutely!!! After 40+ years of being thrown SSRIs and many other medications and drug treatments I frantically searched for any help before determining I could no longer live with this affliction! Thank goodness for confidentiality! In and out of mental health facilities (trust me--they are cuckoo’s nest but with colorful walls! Even the staff no longer wear white!) But I was finally able to find a team that saved me! An acupuncturist, a psychiatrist, and 2 therapists and I found a clinical trial that did genetic testing. Findings: I don’t metabolize SSRIs--think Prozac, which means none of those go-to medications work for me; mutated genes do not allow folic acid which takes serotonin to the brain to metabolize at the cellular level. Hence bipolar depression! A very very long journey! I am one of a very very fortunate few who get relief! Throughout all of this, I managed to attain my PhD and work as a university professor and administrator! There is such a long way to go yet and I have the capacity to find and research mental health which others do not! My heart goes out to anyone trying to manage their mental health without stigma! Good for the Pennsylvania senator! My thoughts are with him every day.
I am not a young man (78), and as I was growing up in East Tennessee, you didn't speak of mental illness of any kind. Totally taboo. Families with special needs children just hid them. I remember hunting with my father-in-law in a remote area of East Tennessee when we came upon a full-grown man in coveralls running through the woods muttering to himself. My father-in-law knew all of the families in the area where he hunted, and told me his name and where he was from. This was obviously someone who should have been hospitalized, but the families knew what that meant for people like him - a state mental health institution, which was worse than prison, and in the 1960's, prisons in Tennessee were not much better (Brushy Mountain a good example, where the prisoners mined coal whether they wanted to or not). It wasn't until the late 1980's that the state was forced to close its mental institutions (along with Brushy Mountain) because of lawsuits, but when they closed, the state did little for those who needed help, so many mentally ill poor, regardless of race, are simply incarcerated in county jails. As a part of a community project with the Sheriff's Office in our county, we toured the local detention center. It was obvious that many of the inmates were in this class., and it's not the fault of the Sheriff or his detention center - the state just does not adequately fund efforts towards treating mental illness, especially for the least fortunate mentally ill. Those on the tour were totally unaware of the extent of the problem, and a few were actually crying as they left, so the extent of the mental illness problems anywhere is that they are still hidden and not openly spoken of, especially among policy makers.
As you probably know, Tennessee is a very MAGA state (not really Republican in the classical sense, but the book burners, election deniers and white supremacist's type of Republican) that has gerrymandered the state to such an extent that no Democrat anywhere in the state, except for the four metropolitan areas, can get a seat in the Legislature, and we have only one Democrat in the House from Memphis. We have a 42-year old intellectually disabled (ID) son for whom we have had to fight the state since he left school at the age of 21 to get services. It has been a continuous fight, not only with the state, but with the agencies licensed by the state to provide services to these ID folks, even after they closed the institutions. The plan was to establish these licensed agencies to place ID and developmentally disabled into a community setting. Great idea, but the state makes it so difficult to get licenses, and the reimbursements, usually from Medicaid Waivers, do not pay enough to get adequately paid, trained and motivated staff to work with this population. It takes a special kind of person to work with the mentally ill, especially in the ID community. The state probably pays an adequate reimbursement, but most of the agencies are for-profit. Guess where the money is going?
Am I happy where we are today? Not no, but hell no. Not even close. The national government can put trillions into infrastructure and defense, which is important, but they need to be putting at least billions into all types and forms of mental illness. Although an optimist, I am not optimistic about anything happening soon for the great majority of this country, mostly middle and upper class folks, not just the poor (not the 2% who are taking all of the wealth and do not have a problem because they have created their own enclaves out of view for their special needs loved ones), who assume the burden of a total lack of understanding of the extent of the problem of mental illness. Still a whispering issue that will never be resolved as long as we have MAGAs (managed by the 2%) running nearly 50% of the states in our country that represent less than 30% of the population (don't hold me to these percentages - I am posturing and ventilating, but I don't think I am far off). The tail is wagging the dog.
So, what do we have? We have families (100's in our county and 1,000's in our state) that are either on waiting lists for services or have just given up ever getting any help. As the ID age, parents and caregivers age. What will happen to these families and their loved ones? I guess they will need to build new detention centers, probably by private sector companies that are currently operated by MAGA supporters. Ah, there's the solution - let's rebuild those institutions and hide the less fortunate away while the rich get richer at the expense of the much less fortunate. Or, we can allow families to care for their ID loved ones with state aid, at least those who want to. Tennessee has what they call a single person support agency whereby a family can create their own mini-agency that would allow for the funds necessary to house and support their loved ones 24/7 in their own homes - secure even after the family/caregivers can no longer assist them. Of course, the state requires the same requirements as the larger agencies to get a license, which puts them out of reach of most. But our family, in 2016, created a non-profit agency to provide ID services to adults, until it was taken from us which is a long story for another time, but since we have everything needed to start this single person agency, we've decided to do that, and maybe help other families in similar situations as an opportunity to get adequate assistance. A solution to the broader problem? No, but possibly something to help a few of the 100's of families in our county. Maybe we can convince some of our legislators to amend the requirements for these mini-agencies so they would be simpler to create. At least something for a very small part of our ID community. We must start somewhere.
I've suffered from depression my whole life and that's a lot of years. The thing is the medical community is lazy and the insurance companies are manipulative. You can't get the test you need to accurately diagnose what is "causing" the depression in the first place so they throw one of the SSRI's at you and when that one doesn't work they throw another one at you. The latest research shows that maybe 15% of people who take those get better. The rest of the population gets fat but they don't tell you that up front do they. And when you've had enough and try to get off them, it's a horrendous struggle. Big Pharma is getting rich and very little research is done to find better solutions. I watched a video the other day of a respected expert, good information but she kept saying "if you have discretionary spending" this is what you need to do, meaning no insurance provider is going to pay for any of the tests she recommends.
John Fetterman is a courageous and honest man from the manner in which he carries himself to being so open about his health issues. We need more people like him in the Senate and House. Let’s hope this is a major step toward normalizing depression, PTSD, and physical ailments as something we all face in one way or another and should not be stigmatized.
Depression and PTSD are all too common, but we do not talk about it as society still views these as a sign of weakness or incompetence or a character flaw. These views are all wrong. I challenge anybody who has been through trauma to not have some form of PTSD. Depression is as much a bio-chemical issue as anything else in the same way some people have Type 1 diabetes, or any auto-immune disease. The latter are not stigmatized and we treat it as a chronic disease that can be managed. Depression is no different. I know from my own experience about depression. On meds, it is managed. Without meds, no matter how good things are, it all seems awful.
We "stigmatize" or shall I say, critique, or are wary of, the wrong people. Depression and anxiety, PTSD, and such come in levels of severity and when it isn't too severe and the person seeks treatment any time there is a flare-up, it should not keep them from public service. There are even people with more serious illnesses, like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, who when treated, can serve society quite well. People will attack and be wary of those with these disorders. But...there are disorders that too many don't have a problem with, much to our detriment: malignant narcissism and anti-social personalities. These are the people who should never be allowed to hold public office. We do little about this problem despite the severe destructive impact they have on society, government, and on people's well-being.
As a working mental health practitioner (Clinical Social Worker), the stigma remains.... but it is getting better as more and more people admit their struggles. I also believe that there are a lot more politicians and government officials who are/have/will be diagnosed and will be competent and capable of doing their jobs well, as long as they have appropriate support.
The stigma will really be reduced when Republicans finally admit that they have mental health problems....
Unfortunately, I think mental health struggles have become a political hammer by those on the right to proclaim that an opponent is weak and unfit to serve. For many of us (myself included) that continue the work of overcoming depression, it has become an awakening and a chance to live a fuller more aware life. Modern medicines and therapy have made a huge difference. Seeking help and treatment for mental health issues shows strength of character in my book. I applaud the brave senator.
Feb 18, 2023·edited Feb 18, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss
Hats off to Senator Fetterman for recognizing and seeking help. The first step, for some is the hardest. Recognizing there is a problem with our mental health may be as obvious as the nose on our face, but to look inward and see there's a problem takes introspection many lack.
Perhaps, if there wasn't the stigma attached to mental illness, that introspection wouldn't be as evasive.
I have long dealt with depression and anxiety issues. My whole family has. It is difficult to crawl your way out that black hole. I applaud my PA Senator John Fetterman for his honestly. If only more politicians had the courage of their convictions.
I think teens and young adults have less stigma talking about mental health then those of us who are middle aged or older. I applaud them all for their honesty and I applaud Senator Fetterman
It was only fair to ask of Walker because his behavior was so erratic and he was exhibiting symptoms that pretty clearly put him in the category of bat-sh&t crazy so to speak, unable to deal with even the most simple of campaign challenges. Otherwise it wouldn’t have been. Fetterman shows none of that, has been able to do his job competently, and has been totally honest about everything. Both-sidesing these two very different situations is a gross oversimplification IMO. Health issues should only come into play when it’s clearly indicated they are interfering with someone doing their job, otherwise every cold and every minor infection could be grounds for endless speculation and digging up dirt.
I fully respect Senator John Fetterman for being so forthcoming about his health issues, and I wish him well in his recovery. As you noted, Steven, the stigma about mental health is real, and discussing it may be considered an admission of weakness. As a single parent, struggling to raise my two sons during a time of financial challenge (in the 1990's), I experienced a bout of depression. I booked a check-up at my Doctor's Office, and shared my feelings with the Nurse Practitioner. I thought I should be able to dispel the dark feelings of despair. She added perspective with a question: if I was diagnosed with Diabetes, did I think I could just pull myself out of it? As mass shooting incidents continue to occur with alarming frequency, the conversation always turns to mental health care. It will be a yeoman task to meet the ever-increasing needs for care, and it will take time to secure more qualified and empathetic counsellors in schools, businesses and Clinics. Importantly, people need to speak up when they feel a family member is in crisis. We are all in this together, for better or for worse. Thank you for putting this important issue forward for discussion, on the America, America platform.
I grew up in Pennsylvania. It is a beautiful state with miles of scenic beauty, red maples, evergreens, mountain laurel and a University that ranks #9 in the US, #93 out of 1400 worldwide.The WVA state motto is Almost Heaven, and my mother said that was because it was next to Pennsylvania. The people are nice, education is great-classmates went on to become doctors, teachers. So, no way did I want this wonderful state to be represented by an arrogant interloper named Dr. Oz !
I contributed to Senator Fetterman's campaign and receive emails that are friendly, down to earth,like talking to a neighbor, with thank yous and hearts, with greetings from his very loving wife, even their dogs. We are not talking about depression because you hate your job or you broke up with your boyfriend. We are talking about a condition that is wired into the brain, that doesn't just go away by someone trying to cheer you up. It will be with you in different degrees throughout your life and takes medicine and psychologist help to control.One just knows Sen. Fetterman will work for the people of his state and the nation; he is not in it for money or fame.I am sure that even with his health problems, he will do a better job for us than so many of the present politicians. Admitting to the public his need for help and going to Walter Reed shows common sense and the ability to identify with difficulties people face. I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln, greatest president of the US, even above Washington these days. Both were/are exceedingly tall and without the good looks of a Cary Grant. Lincoln suffered from bouts of depression or melancholy all of his life. He and Mary spent their summers in a home for wounded veterans of the Civil War to escape from the immense burden of responsibility the war put upon him and helped his depressed state of mind. Walt Whitman who saw them go by in their carriage, said the President always had a deep, latent sadness of expression.
Oz and Republicans, especially Junior, made jokes about the Senator. Isn't that odd? We know guns are a problem. They say no, it is a mental health problem that needs attended to. Yet, in a real case, they utter distasteful,unkind words.
Anyway, he will get well and be a good representative of my home state. Il connait une crudite est a vegetable platter !!
I don't care if you agree with his politics or not; this guy is every man's man. I've dealt with struggles like this in my family, some long term, some not so much. Wishing the very best for his speedy and effective recovery.
Thanks for your insightful article. I agree that politicians have succeeded, barely, with reference to their treatment by others after acknowledging their mental illness. The same can not be said about the American community. After a mass shooting most respond that we need to fund mental illness. True, but the focus suggests it is an individual's problem, when instead it is all of ours. Overall, I do believe that congress has progressed in its response to mental illness/ mental problems. I pray that Senator Fetterman receive patience and understanding during his recovery.
I wish I could say we were but I cannot. The right wing is making fun of him and I hope he doesn’t know and his family doesn’t know. He is a young man who had a stroke and depression is very common. He is very brave to admit he is depressed and get help. I’ll take that kind of politician any day and the rest of them can stew in their own hateful juices.
I think the number of Americans who seek support and guidance at some point in their lives is probably higher. No shame should be attached; no ridicule or aspersions should be applied to these people. If one’s bones can break, so can one’s heart and parts of one’s brain. Bones need a doctor. Brains/heart/feelings need one also. We must be a more tolerant, more accepting society. Maybe we can end all wars and learn to accept each other for our differences.
Those seeking help and publicly disclosing their struggles do not scare or frightened me in the least. They’re more mentally stable because they have or are seeking help, therapy, and guidance. So many people who should seek care outright refuse! Those are the people I fear. Those are the ones …we should all fear. A narcissist would never seek therapy …that’s my point.
"...generally respectful responses from politicians on both sides of the aisle,..."??? Are you kidding me? Have you seen some of the vile, cruel comments/tweets made by some Republicans? And not one of the supposedly respectful Republicans has called out the vile ones and silence is complicity. The shift is real, but's it's sadly one-sided.
It will be the usual cast of characters that find this disturbing and unacceptable. I’m surprised we haven’t heard cries from the right for him to step down.
Maybe it’s because they know another Democrat will be replace him in any case, and meantime there’s one less Democratic vote.
No one knows that I have chronic depression unless I tell them, and they can't believe it because I am always joking. I had two acute depression episodes that I didn't even know were episodes until I went to school to become an LPN in 1982. In 2005 I had a really bad episode and called my doctor asap. I have been on medication since then. I worked up until 2020, quitting because my doctor didn't want me working in a healthcare setting during Covid because of my age and medical conditions besides depression. The number of nurses I know personally with a depression diagnosis is staggering but makes sense to me because of the stresses related to the job. We need to be MORE accepting of people with clinical depression than we are. I am sure there are many people in public service who are clinically depressed but have not said anything. I applaud John Fetterman for speaking out. Maybe when he shows everyone that he can do the job he was elected to do, this will help people understand they don't really know what we're capable of. Those who call us crazy have the real problem.
I think we’re in a both-and scenario. As a society I think we are transitioning into accepting mental health challenges as part of life, just as we transitioned into accepting homosexuality to the point where we eventually accepted gay marriage. The more people of prominence speak openly of their challenges the more they speak to and for all of us. I so admire Fetterman for his strength and leadership.
Horticultural Therapy and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, the Jon Kabat Zinn program) are the primary ways I deal with stress and anxiety. I would not define myself as depressed but I’m subdued and for the most part hibernating as I’m caring for a relative who is successfully recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor. My anxiety is over the top due to the hate, divisiveness and gun violence in this country. I have an app called Breethe for meditation. Horticultural Therapy is really big in the UK but has not really taken off here. We have a number of house plants and I really look forward to digging some holes and my spring planting. However, I’m not volunteering here at the Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate on Fathers Day. I’m afraid I’ll get shot if some lunatic like the Highland Park shooter at their 4th of July parade last year shows up.
no Steve it doesn't, there's no money in it and if you rely on Medicare, there's no help either. Statistically the most common drug to treat depression is less than 15% affective or less than 15% of the people put on them actually benefit. So, you gotta ask yourself why do doctors still prescribe them?
Hey -America better start dealing with mental health issues because look what's happening in the house of representatives. Why is McCarthy able to give away those tapes with no recourse. Isn't that a teensy tiny bit illegal?
I commend Senator Fetterman for his courage and commitment.
In general, I believe that mental health has become more understood across the country..However, as with anything in this political climate, it will depend on what is politically expedient to the person pointing the finger..For me personally, and in most cases a person's mental health can be treated..If however, it were to become an acute problem, it should be dealt with accordingly..I do not believe Herschel Walker is a good example for this discussion.. In my view, it was the history of his conduct, his lying, and as I observed his stupidity that made him an unfit candidate..What I see as more of a marker of an "unfit for the office" individual is Racism, Hate, Antisemitism, Stupidity, Lying, these are things that in more cases than not you can't treat..That's not to say it is impossible for one to change their world view, but try telling that to MTG, Lauren Boebert, et al..
If the current mental health along with the histories of every person holding elected office across the country had to meet some criteria of perfection, not a speck of humanity would be left in those jobs..For it is this kind of life challenge that helps to shape us into who we are..However, just look at the likes of Ron DeSantis, there is not a speck of humanity in him at all, mental illness notwithstanding..He’s an evil bigoted person..
like many here I too have suffered from long term depression. Thankfully I was able to respond well to antidepressants and some therapy. That was back in the 90s and I wished I had done it earlier while I suffered post partum depression. I had decided to tell my family upfront what I was going through. My parents were very supportive, and my sister too. My brothers not so much. But depression is a real thing in my family and it took until my generation to face it. Still I began to spiral downward in 2019 after the death of both parents, my best friend, and then my husband and closely on the heels of that many old pets. Then the pandemic hit. My depression was getting out of control. In 2021 I again sought help. I was then on Medicare and I could not find any providers in my advantage network. Either they were not accepting new patients or they were not in network anymore. I tried to get help directly from my healthcare insurance and they were no help. A person who barely spoke English gave me the name of a doctor, Turned out he was a brain surgeon 40 miles away. I was totally angry by this time and decided I would not seek further help. As a senior it is so much harder to find help in the mental health industry. I still have never been able to find help and decided to go it alone. I did learn coping skills years ago and I I am strong willed. But in todays medical climate in this country, mental health of seniors is on the very back burner. I have nothing but respect for Senator Fetterman. I am really glad he has the resources he will need to fight this battle.
Definitely getting better; the momentum shift is there for greater acceptance and understanding that neglecting our collective mental health has been detrimental to our collective well-being. I feel great hope that within the next decade at least, we will see GenZ and millennials, who have thrown off the stigma associated with mental health issues, become strong proponents for mental health support 🙏
What we knew is that Senator needed help well before his election. Apologist like you wrote BS stories of how he was up to the task. He never was. Sad. You could see it a mile away. As for mental health, tell me what is happening in the Progressive paradises of NY, California and Illinois before you criticize others.
As a person that has dealt with depression my entire adult life, I can say that I have noticed a change in my corner of the universe. What once was a diagnosis that you didn’t share with others because society was not handling mental illness as they are now, to people publicly sharing their mental health situations, I can’t help but think this is good, especially for men. I would trust any person, politician or not, if they told me of their mental health struggles. It simply means they’re human. There are too many people walking around DC that I think could use a mental health evaluation but that’s just me. I know when people go public with this it does help individuals that feel isolated, withdrawn, etc. I know the most significant thing about Sen Fetterman’s announcement is this...He just gave millions of people who are suffering in silence, hope. For that I’m thankful. He is brave, wise &, indeed, a leader. Godspeed, Senator.
Sadly I think the stigma still exists. Although I drive through so many towns that have signs that say they are stigma-fee, I think that is more of a policy statement than an actual polling of the citizens. People accept diabetes, which is a chemical imbalan unequal access toce, just as depression or other mental illnesses often are. People even accept when someone has been diagnosed with cancer, and support the person going through radiation and/or chemotherapy. However, mental illness, which is very prevalent in our society, exacerbated by COVID and the isolation it caused, exacerbated by the trauma of war, i.e. PTSD, and exacerbated by the toxic nature of the discourse in our nation, political and otherwise, including the denial of critical race theory and history of slavery in our country, the frequent episodes of anti-semitism, frequent episodes of hate of many marginalized people, and the frequent episodes of gun violence and natural disasters, all of this is very depressing. Chemical imbalance can be the cause of depression, anxiety of other mental illnesses; and living in a stressful environment for an extended period of time, can weaken the immune system, leading to physical illness, and mental illness. There is also postpartum depression, ice relegated to a weakness in some women, finally now recognized as a real mental illness caused by hormonal changes after a woman delivers a baby. I think it is shameful that a majority of people in our country continue to shame those with mental illness, calling it a weakness in the person, rather than a real illness, just as real as high blood pressure, thyroid conditions. It's the 21st century. It is way past the time when our citizens should become enlightened about all aspects of health that need to be addressed, all aspects of health that deserve our understanding and compassion. Last week a teepee girl who was consistently bullied took her own life. That is beyond tragic. Wake up America. We are all created equal, though some of us have a tendency in our genetic makeup that leads to 1 form of illness or another. Wake up insurance companies and provide benefits for mental illness on par with the benefits provided for physical illness. How dare we continue to stigmatize those with depression, anxiety or other mental illness, the can be treated with medicines or other procedures. It is the strong among us who acknowledge and get treatment for mental illness. It is the weak among us who shame others for having such a condition. Finally, the GOP says it is not guns that cause these mass violence incidents, but rather it is the mental illness of the shooters. If that's their point of view, then put up or shut up. Acknowledge that mental illness is a real illness, not an imagined illness or a personality weakness. Let's acknowledge the sources in our society that lead to mental illness if a person has a genetic predisposition, or environmental background that leads to mental illness. Let's accept it and treat it rather than put it down and ignore those who suffer from it. All men, and today I would add, all women are created equal. Not just in our government documents, but also in the Bible, where it says that we re all created in God's image.
Mr. Fetterman is fierce and incredibly brave to reveal this struggle.I have no qualms about him serving, in any capacity he chooses. I have more fear about someone like DFG serving with severe, obvious, but not formally diagnosed, mental issues. If his family cared about him even a little, they’d have encouraged him to seek treatment. DFG and the flunkies who enable him, are much more dangerous.
I’m a licensed therapist and I cannot keep up with new client inquiries. Because my practice is specialized to support neurodiverse couples, I’ve created a series of online courses for couples in an effort to provide information and guidance beyond the limits of my weekly schedule. I also write articles in my area of specialization. These are my ways of trying to be helpful when I know I can’t increase my clinical load. But it’s not just my practice that is like this. Every therapist I know is busy to capacity with wait lists. This suggests two things to me: there is an increased recognition and acceptance of the need for counseling support in the lives of individuals and couples, and also that people are are actually struggling more than they were in the past. The most common themes that arise in sessions relate to generalized anxiety due to the divisive political and social environment in today’s world, and challenges regarding sex, which makes sense as an indicator of how lonely and disjointed so many feel their lives are these days. I just don’t think there are enough providers to meet the rapidly growing need for mental health support in this country.
How can any conscious person not be depressed in today’s political and social environment? Why would depression disqualify a person from holding public office? Depression seems to me the appropriate response to life in the United States at this time. Is being mean or cruel considered to be mental illness? It should be, but judging by some members of Congress, it doesn’t seem to be a disqualifier.
I'm not sure I'd use Herschel Walker as any kind of mental health comparison. The difference is that Walker will not acknowledge there's a problem. Fetterman is an honest and honorable man who faces his struggles in ways more of us should consider with our own.
We won't be shaking our heads over Fetterman, wondering what daffy thing he'll do next, as we did too often with Herschel Walker. Instead, we'll know without a doubt that John is in control of his mental illness. When it gets out of hand, he knows what to do.
That's reassuring.
What about the mental health of Greene ? Gosar? Jordan? McCarthy? Boebert? Trump?
Stigma? Absolutely!!! After 40+ years of being thrown SSRIs and many other medications and drug treatments I frantically searched for any help before determining I could no longer live with this affliction! Thank goodness for confidentiality! In and out of mental health facilities (trust me--they are cuckoo’s nest but with colorful walls! Even the staff no longer wear white!) But I was finally able to find a team that saved me! An acupuncturist, a psychiatrist, and 2 therapists and I found a clinical trial that did genetic testing. Findings: I don’t metabolize SSRIs--think Prozac, which means none of those go-to medications work for me; mutated genes do not allow folic acid which takes serotonin to the brain to metabolize at the cellular level. Hence bipolar depression! A very very long journey! I am one of a very very fortunate few who get relief! Throughout all of this, I managed to attain my PhD and work as a university professor and administrator! There is such a long way to go yet and I have the capacity to find and research mental health which others do not! My heart goes out to anyone trying to manage their mental health without stigma! Good for the Pennsylvania senator! My thoughts are with him every day.
I am not a young man (78), and as I was growing up in East Tennessee, you didn't speak of mental illness of any kind. Totally taboo. Families with special needs children just hid them. I remember hunting with my father-in-law in a remote area of East Tennessee when we came upon a full-grown man in coveralls running through the woods muttering to himself. My father-in-law knew all of the families in the area where he hunted, and told me his name and where he was from. This was obviously someone who should have been hospitalized, but the families knew what that meant for people like him - a state mental health institution, which was worse than prison, and in the 1960's, prisons in Tennessee were not much better (Brushy Mountain a good example, where the prisoners mined coal whether they wanted to or not). It wasn't until the late 1980's that the state was forced to close its mental institutions (along with Brushy Mountain) because of lawsuits, but when they closed, the state did little for those who needed help, so many mentally ill poor, regardless of race, are simply incarcerated in county jails. As a part of a community project with the Sheriff's Office in our county, we toured the local detention center. It was obvious that many of the inmates were in this class., and it's not the fault of the Sheriff or his detention center - the state just does not adequately fund efforts towards treating mental illness, especially for the least fortunate mentally ill. Those on the tour were totally unaware of the extent of the problem, and a few were actually crying as they left, so the extent of the mental illness problems anywhere is that they are still hidden and not openly spoken of, especially among policy makers.
As you probably know, Tennessee is a very MAGA state (not really Republican in the classical sense, but the book burners, election deniers and white supremacist's type of Republican) that has gerrymandered the state to such an extent that no Democrat anywhere in the state, except for the four metropolitan areas, can get a seat in the Legislature, and we have only one Democrat in the House from Memphis. We have a 42-year old intellectually disabled (ID) son for whom we have had to fight the state since he left school at the age of 21 to get services. It has been a continuous fight, not only with the state, but with the agencies licensed by the state to provide services to these ID folks, even after they closed the institutions. The plan was to establish these licensed agencies to place ID and developmentally disabled into a community setting. Great idea, but the state makes it so difficult to get licenses, and the reimbursements, usually from Medicaid Waivers, do not pay enough to get adequately paid, trained and motivated staff to work with this population. It takes a special kind of person to work with the mentally ill, especially in the ID community. The state probably pays an adequate reimbursement, but most of the agencies are for-profit. Guess where the money is going?
Am I happy where we are today? Not no, but hell no. Not even close. The national government can put trillions into infrastructure and defense, which is important, but they need to be putting at least billions into all types and forms of mental illness. Although an optimist, I am not optimistic about anything happening soon for the great majority of this country, mostly middle and upper class folks, not just the poor (not the 2% who are taking all of the wealth and do not have a problem because they have created their own enclaves out of view for their special needs loved ones), who assume the burden of a total lack of understanding of the extent of the problem of mental illness. Still a whispering issue that will never be resolved as long as we have MAGAs (managed by the 2%) running nearly 50% of the states in our country that represent less than 30% of the population (don't hold me to these percentages - I am posturing and ventilating, but I don't think I am far off). The tail is wagging the dog.
So, what do we have? We have families (100's in our county and 1,000's in our state) that are either on waiting lists for services or have just given up ever getting any help. As the ID age, parents and caregivers age. What will happen to these families and their loved ones? I guess they will need to build new detention centers, probably by private sector companies that are currently operated by MAGA supporters. Ah, there's the solution - let's rebuild those institutions and hide the less fortunate away while the rich get richer at the expense of the much less fortunate. Or, we can allow families to care for their ID loved ones with state aid, at least those who want to. Tennessee has what they call a single person support agency whereby a family can create their own mini-agency that would allow for the funds necessary to house and support their loved ones 24/7 in their own homes - secure even after the family/caregivers can no longer assist them. Of course, the state requires the same requirements as the larger agencies to get a license, which puts them out of reach of most. But our family, in 2016, created a non-profit agency to provide ID services to adults, until it was taken from us which is a long story for another time, but since we have everything needed to start this single person agency, we've decided to do that, and maybe help other families in similar situations as an opportunity to get adequate assistance. A solution to the broader problem? No, but possibly something to help a few of the 100's of families in our county. Maybe we can convince some of our legislators to amend the requirements for these mini-agencies so they would be simpler to create. At least something for a very small part of our ID community. We must start somewhere.
I've suffered from depression my whole life and that's a lot of years. The thing is the medical community is lazy and the insurance companies are manipulative. You can't get the test you need to accurately diagnose what is "causing" the depression in the first place so they throw one of the SSRI's at you and when that one doesn't work they throw another one at you. The latest research shows that maybe 15% of people who take those get better. The rest of the population gets fat but they don't tell you that up front do they. And when you've had enough and try to get off them, it's a horrendous struggle. Big Pharma is getting rich and very little research is done to find better solutions. I watched a video the other day of a respected expert, good information but she kept saying "if you have discretionary spending" this is what you need to do, meaning no insurance provider is going to pay for any of the tests she recommends.
John Fetterman is a courageous and honest man from the manner in which he carries himself to being so open about his health issues. We need more people like him in the Senate and House. Let’s hope this is a major step toward normalizing depression, PTSD, and physical ailments as something we all face in one way or another and should not be stigmatized.
Depression and PTSD are all too common, but we do not talk about it as society still views these as a sign of weakness or incompetence or a character flaw. These views are all wrong. I challenge anybody who has been through trauma to not have some form of PTSD. Depression is as much a bio-chemical issue as anything else in the same way some people have Type 1 diabetes, or any auto-immune disease. The latter are not stigmatized and we treat it as a chronic disease that can be managed. Depression is no different. I know from my own experience about depression. On meds, it is managed. Without meds, no matter how good things are, it all seems awful.
We "stigmatize" or shall I say, critique, or are wary of, the wrong people. Depression and anxiety, PTSD, and such come in levels of severity and when it isn't too severe and the person seeks treatment any time there is a flare-up, it should not keep them from public service. There are even people with more serious illnesses, like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, who when treated, can serve society quite well. People will attack and be wary of those with these disorders. But...there are disorders that too many don't have a problem with, much to our detriment: malignant narcissism and anti-social personalities. These are the people who should never be allowed to hold public office. We do little about this problem despite the severe destructive impact they have on society, government, and on people's well-being.
As a working mental health practitioner (Clinical Social Worker), the stigma remains.... but it is getting better as more and more people admit their struggles. I also believe that there are a lot more politicians and government officials who are/have/will be diagnosed and will be competent and capable of doing their jobs well, as long as they have appropriate support.
The stigma will really be reduced when Republicans finally admit that they have mental health problems....
Unfortunately, I think mental health struggles have become a political hammer by those on the right to proclaim that an opponent is weak and unfit to serve. For many of us (myself included) that continue the work of overcoming depression, it has become an awakening and a chance to live a fuller more aware life. Modern medicines and therapy have made a huge difference. Seeking help and treatment for mental health issues shows strength of character in my book. I applaud the brave senator.
Hats off to Senator Fetterman for recognizing and seeking help. The first step, for some is the hardest. Recognizing there is a problem with our mental health may be as obvious as the nose on our face, but to look inward and see there's a problem takes introspection many lack.
Perhaps, if there wasn't the stigma attached to mental illness, that introspection wouldn't be as evasive.
Great question. And article. The answer is yes and no. We are making progress, but far too slowly. The stigma remains all too real for far too many.
I have long dealt with depression and anxiety issues. My whole family has. It is difficult to crawl your way out that black hole. I applaud my PA Senator John Fetterman for his honestly. If only more politicians had the courage of their convictions.
I think teens and young adults have less stigma talking about mental health then those of us who are middle aged or older. I applaud them all for their honesty and I applaud Senator Fetterman
It was only fair to ask of Walker because his behavior was so erratic and he was exhibiting symptoms that pretty clearly put him in the category of bat-sh&t crazy so to speak, unable to deal with even the most simple of campaign challenges. Otherwise it wouldn’t have been. Fetterman shows none of that, has been able to do his job competently, and has been totally honest about everything. Both-sidesing these two very different situations is a gross oversimplification IMO. Health issues should only come into play when it’s clearly indicated they are interfering with someone doing their job, otherwise every cold and every minor infection could be grounds for endless speculation and digging up dirt.
I fully respect Senator John Fetterman for being so forthcoming about his health issues, and I wish him well in his recovery. As you noted, Steven, the stigma about mental health is real, and discussing it may be considered an admission of weakness. As a single parent, struggling to raise my two sons during a time of financial challenge (in the 1990's), I experienced a bout of depression. I booked a check-up at my Doctor's Office, and shared my feelings with the Nurse Practitioner. I thought I should be able to dispel the dark feelings of despair. She added perspective with a question: if I was diagnosed with Diabetes, did I think I could just pull myself out of it? As mass shooting incidents continue to occur with alarming frequency, the conversation always turns to mental health care. It will be a yeoman task to meet the ever-increasing needs for care, and it will take time to secure more qualified and empathetic counsellors in schools, businesses and Clinics. Importantly, people need to speak up when they feel a family member is in crisis. We are all in this together, for better or for worse. Thank you for putting this important issue forward for discussion, on the America, America platform.
I grew up in Pennsylvania. It is a beautiful state with miles of scenic beauty, red maples, evergreens, mountain laurel and a University that ranks #9 in the US, #93 out of 1400 worldwide.The WVA state motto is Almost Heaven, and my mother said that was because it was next to Pennsylvania. The people are nice, education is great-classmates went on to become doctors, teachers. So, no way did I want this wonderful state to be represented by an arrogant interloper named Dr. Oz !
I contributed to Senator Fetterman's campaign and receive emails that are friendly, down to earth,like talking to a neighbor, with thank yous and hearts, with greetings from his very loving wife, even their dogs. We are not talking about depression because you hate your job or you broke up with your boyfriend. We are talking about a condition that is wired into the brain, that doesn't just go away by someone trying to cheer you up. It will be with you in different degrees throughout your life and takes medicine and psychologist help to control.One just knows Sen. Fetterman will work for the people of his state and the nation; he is not in it for money or fame.I am sure that even with his health problems, he will do a better job for us than so many of the present politicians. Admitting to the public his need for help and going to Walter Reed shows common sense and the ability to identify with difficulties people face. I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln, greatest president of the US, even above Washington these days. Both were/are exceedingly tall and without the good looks of a Cary Grant. Lincoln suffered from bouts of depression or melancholy all of his life. He and Mary spent their summers in a home for wounded veterans of the Civil War to escape from the immense burden of responsibility the war put upon him and helped his depressed state of mind. Walt Whitman who saw them go by in their carriage, said the President always had a deep, latent sadness of expression.
Oz and Republicans, especially Junior, made jokes about the Senator. Isn't that odd? We know guns are a problem. They say no, it is a mental health problem that needs attended to. Yet, in a real case, they utter distasteful,unkind words.
Anyway, he will get well and be a good representative of my home state. Il connait une crudite est a vegetable platter !!
I don't care if you agree with his politics or not; this guy is every man's man. I've dealt with struggles like this in my family, some long term, some not so much. Wishing the very best for his speedy and effective recovery.
Thanks for your insightful article. I agree that politicians have succeeded, barely, with reference to their treatment by others after acknowledging their mental illness. The same can not be said about the American community. After a mass shooting most respond that we need to fund mental illness. True, but the focus suggests it is an individual's problem, when instead it is all of ours. Overall, I do believe that congress has progressed in its response to mental illness/ mental problems. I pray that Senator Fetterman receive patience and understanding during his recovery.
I wish I could say we were but I cannot. The right wing is making fun of him and I hope he doesn’t know and his family doesn’t know. He is a young man who had a stroke and depression is very common. He is very brave to admit he is depressed and get help. I’ll take that kind of politician any day and the rest of them can stew in their own hateful juices.
I think the number of Americans who seek support and guidance at some point in their lives is probably higher. No shame should be attached; no ridicule or aspersions should be applied to these people. If one’s bones can break, so can one’s heart and parts of one’s brain. Bones need a doctor. Brains/heart/feelings need one also. We must be a more tolerant, more accepting society. Maybe we can end all wars and learn to accept each other for our differences.
Those seeking help and publicly disclosing their struggles do not scare or frightened me in the least. They’re more mentally stable because they have or are seeking help, therapy, and guidance. So many people who should seek care outright refuse! Those are the people I fear. Those are the ones …we should all fear. A narcissist would never seek therapy …that’s my point.
"...generally respectful responses from politicians on both sides of the aisle,..."??? Are you kidding me? Have you seen some of the vile, cruel comments/tweets made by some Republicans? And not one of the supposedly respectful Republicans has called out the vile ones and silence is complicity. The shift is real, but's it's sadly one-sided.
It will be the usual cast of characters that find this disturbing and unacceptable. I’m surprised we haven’t heard cries from the right for him to step down.
Maybe it’s because they know another Democrat will be replace him in any case, and meantime there’s one less Democratic vote.
Excuse my cynicism
No one knows that I have chronic depression unless I tell them, and they can't believe it because I am always joking. I had two acute depression episodes that I didn't even know were episodes until I went to school to become an LPN in 1982. In 2005 I had a really bad episode and called my doctor asap. I have been on medication since then. I worked up until 2020, quitting because my doctor didn't want me working in a healthcare setting during Covid because of my age and medical conditions besides depression. The number of nurses I know personally with a depression diagnosis is staggering but makes sense to me because of the stresses related to the job. We need to be MORE accepting of people with clinical depression than we are. I am sure there are many people in public service who are clinically depressed but have not said anything. I applaud John Fetterman for speaking out. Maybe when he shows everyone that he can do the job he was elected to do, this will help people understand they don't really know what we're capable of. Those who call us crazy have the real problem.
I think we’re in a both-and scenario. As a society I think we are transitioning into accepting mental health challenges as part of life, just as we transitioned into accepting homosexuality to the point where we eventually accepted gay marriage. The more people of prominence speak openly of their challenges the more they speak to and for all of us. I so admire Fetterman for his strength and leadership.
Horticultural Therapy and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, the Jon Kabat Zinn program) are the primary ways I deal with stress and anxiety. I would not define myself as depressed but I’m subdued and for the most part hibernating as I’m caring for a relative who is successfully recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor. My anxiety is over the top due to the hate, divisiveness and gun violence in this country. I have an app called Breethe for meditation. Horticultural Therapy is really big in the UK but has not really taken off here. We have a number of house plants and I really look forward to digging some holes and my spring planting. However, I’m not volunteering here at the Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate on Fathers Day. I’m afraid I’ll get shot if some lunatic like the Highland Park shooter at their 4th of July parade last year shows up.
Yes but not near as much as we need to.
no Steve it doesn't, there's no money in it and if you rely on Medicare, there's no help either. Statistically the most common drug to treat depression is less than 15% affective or less than 15% of the people put on them actually benefit. So, you gotta ask yourself why do doctors still prescribe them?
Hey -America better start dealing with mental health issues because look what's happening in the house of representatives. Why is McCarthy able to give away those tapes with no recourse. Isn't that a teensy tiny bit illegal?
I commend Senator Fetterman for his courage and commitment.
In general, I believe that mental health has become more understood across the country..However, as with anything in this political climate, it will depend on what is politically expedient to the person pointing the finger..For me personally, and in most cases a person's mental health can be treated..If however, it were to become an acute problem, it should be dealt with accordingly..I do not believe Herschel Walker is a good example for this discussion.. In my view, it was the history of his conduct, his lying, and as I observed his stupidity that made him an unfit candidate..What I see as more of a marker of an "unfit for the office" individual is Racism, Hate, Antisemitism, Stupidity, Lying, these are things that in more cases than not you can't treat..That's not to say it is impossible for one to change their world view, but try telling that to MTG, Lauren Boebert, et al..
If the current mental health along with the histories of every person holding elected office across the country had to meet some criteria of perfection, not a speck of humanity would be left in those jobs..For it is this kind of life challenge that helps to shape us into who we are..However, just look at the likes of Ron DeSantis, there is not a speck of humanity in him at all, mental illness notwithstanding..He’s an evil bigoted person..
like many here I too have suffered from long term depression. Thankfully I was able to respond well to antidepressants and some therapy. That was back in the 90s and I wished I had done it earlier while I suffered post partum depression. I had decided to tell my family upfront what I was going through. My parents were very supportive, and my sister too. My brothers not so much. But depression is a real thing in my family and it took until my generation to face it. Still I began to spiral downward in 2019 after the death of both parents, my best friend, and then my husband and closely on the heels of that many old pets. Then the pandemic hit. My depression was getting out of control. In 2021 I again sought help. I was then on Medicare and I could not find any providers in my advantage network. Either they were not accepting new patients or they were not in network anymore. I tried to get help directly from my healthcare insurance and they were no help. A person who barely spoke English gave me the name of a doctor, Turned out he was a brain surgeon 40 miles away. I was totally angry by this time and decided I would not seek further help. As a senior it is so much harder to find help in the mental health industry. I still have never been able to find help and decided to go it alone. I did learn coping skills years ago and I I am strong willed. But in todays medical climate in this country, mental health of seniors is on the very back burner. I have nothing but respect for Senator Fetterman. I am really glad he has the resources he will need to fight this battle.
Definitely getting better; the momentum shift is there for greater acceptance and understanding that neglecting our collective mental health has been detrimental to our collective well-being. I feel great hope that within the next decade at least, we will see GenZ and millennials, who have thrown off the stigma associated with mental health issues, become strong proponents for mental health support 🙏
What we knew is that Senator needed help well before his election. Apologist like you wrote BS stories of how he was up to the task. He never was. Sad. You could see it a mile away. As for mental health, tell me what is happening in the Progressive paradises of NY, California and Illinois before you criticize others.
As a person that has dealt with depression my entire adult life, I can say that I have noticed a change in my corner of the universe. What once was a diagnosis that you didn’t share with others because society was not handling mental illness as they are now, to people publicly sharing their mental health situations, I can’t help but think this is good, especially for men. I would trust any person, politician or not, if they told me of their mental health struggles. It simply means they’re human. There are too many people walking around DC that I think could use a mental health evaluation but that’s just me. I know when people go public with this it does help individuals that feel isolated, withdrawn, etc. I know the most significant thing about Sen Fetterman’s announcement is this...He just gave millions of people who are suffering in silence, hope. For that I’m thankful. He is brave, wise &, indeed, a leader. Godspeed, Senator.
Sadly I think the stigma still exists. Although I drive through so many towns that have signs that say they are stigma-fee, I think that is more of a policy statement than an actual polling of the citizens. People accept diabetes, which is a chemical imbalan unequal access toce, just as depression or other mental illnesses often are. People even accept when someone has been diagnosed with cancer, and support the person going through radiation and/or chemotherapy. However, mental illness, which is very prevalent in our society, exacerbated by COVID and the isolation it caused, exacerbated by the trauma of war, i.e. PTSD, and exacerbated by the toxic nature of the discourse in our nation, political and otherwise, including the denial of critical race theory and history of slavery in our country, the frequent episodes of anti-semitism, frequent episodes of hate of many marginalized people, and the frequent episodes of gun violence and natural disasters, all of this is very depressing. Chemical imbalance can be the cause of depression, anxiety of other mental illnesses; and living in a stressful environment for an extended period of time, can weaken the immune system, leading to physical illness, and mental illness. There is also postpartum depression, ice relegated to a weakness in some women, finally now recognized as a real mental illness caused by hormonal changes after a woman delivers a baby. I think it is shameful that a majority of people in our country continue to shame those with mental illness, calling it a weakness in the person, rather than a real illness, just as real as high blood pressure, thyroid conditions. It's the 21st century. It is way past the time when our citizens should become enlightened about all aspects of health that need to be addressed, all aspects of health that deserve our understanding and compassion. Last week a teepee girl who was consistently bullied took her own life. That is beyond tragic. Wake up America. We are all created equal, though some of us have a tendency in our genetic makeup that leads to 1 form of illness or another. Wake up insurance companies and provide benefits for mental illness on par with the benefits provided for physical illness. How dare we continue to stigmatize those with depression, anxiety or other mental illness, the can be treated with medicines or other procedures. It is the strong among us who acknowledge and get treatment for mental illness. It is the weak among us who shame others for having such a condition. Finally, the GOP says it is not guns that cause these mass violence incidents, but rather it is the mental illness of the shooters. If that's their point of view, then put up or shut up. Acknowledge that mental illness is a real illness, not an imagined illness or a personality weakness. Let's acknowledge the sources in our society that lead to mental illness if a person has a genetic predisposition, or environmental background that leads to mental illness. Let's accept it and treat it rather than put it down and ignore those who suffer from it. All men, and today I would add, all women are created equal. Not just in our government documents, but also in the Bible, where it says that we re all created in God's image.