Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman reveals the darkest depths of his personal struggle with depression, just months after winning a tight election.
In an exclusive interview with CBS, Fetterman opens up about his journey with mental health, sharing the painful struggles he faced during his campaign and how it has affected him in the years since.
The senator recounts his downward spiral, describing how feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of politics took a toll on his well-being. He admits to losing sleep over policy decisions and experiencing physical symptoms that made everyday life unbearable.
"I was struggling with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts," Fetterman said. "It's something I've been dealing with for years, but it came to a head during my campaign."
Fetterman credits his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, with being by his side throughout the ordeal. He also expresses gratitude for the support of colleagues and friends who helped him navigate this difficult time.
As he reflects on the past few months since winning the election, Fetterman emphasizes that the mental health journey is ongoing. The senator encourages young people to seek help and emphasizes the importance of addressing mental health concerns before they become serious issues.
"Depression doesn't take a break," Fetterman says, advocating for a national conversation around mental health. "We need to make it okay to ask for help."
In an exclusive interview with CBS, Fetterman opens up about his journey with mental health, sharing the painful struggles he faced during his campaign and how it has affected him in the years since.
The senator recounts his downward spiral, describing how feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of politics took a toll on his well-being. He admits to losing sleep over policy decisions and experiencing physical symptoms that made everyday life unbearable.
"I was struggling with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts," Fetterman said. "It's something I've been dealing with for years, but it came to a head during my campaign."
Fetterman credits his wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, with being by his side throughout the ordeal. He also expresses gratitude for the support of colleagues and friends who helped him navigate this difficult time.
As he reflects on the past few months since winning the election, Fetterman emphasizes that the mental health journey is ongoing. The senator encourages young people to seek help and emphasizes the importance of addressing mental health concerns before they become serious issues.
"Depression doesn't take a break," Fetterman says, advocating for a national conversation around mental health. "We need to make it okay to ask for help."
I'm not surprised he's talking about his depression now that he's in office. Like, shouldn't he have been addressing this while running for office? 
Didn't they even do a background check on him or something? 
It's like he's only coming clean now because he wants to be "relatable" to his constituents. I mean, I get it, mental health is important and all that, but can't we have a real conversation about this instead of just being told to "ask for help"? 
. It's crazy how politics can be so all-consuming that you forget to take care of yourself in the process. I mean, I get why he felt overwhelmed - the campaign trail is no joke, and the scrutiny can be brutal. But it's awesome that his wife was there to support him through it 
. And honestly, I'm not surprised he's still dealing with it now; mental health isn't something you "get over" overnight 
. It takes time and effort to heal, so I hope he's getting the help he needs (and that we all can too).
It's like they say, "behind the throne" - there's always a lot more going on than what we see. Fetterman's being so brave about sharing this stuff, though. I'm sending all my positive vibes to him and his wife Gisele - she sounds like an amazing partner! 
It's so important for politicians (and everyone!) to talk openly about their struggles with mental health - it can be a total game-changer. Let's get the conversation started, just like Fetterman is encouraging us to do! 
it's like, we all know someone who's going through something similar, but not many of us are as brave as him to share their story 
maybe this is the start of a bigger conversation around mental health in politics? can't help but think that having more open conversations about mental health might actually make a big difference 
. It's awesome that he's speaking out about his struggles though, it's gonna help so many people who are going thru similar stuff 
. I think we need more leaders like him who aren't afraid to show their human side and talk openly about mental health 
. Here's a little diagram of how Fetterman's journey has affected him (it's kinda messy 
.
Mental health is still such a taboo topic in the US, and I think it's amazing that John Fetterman is using his platform to talk about it. It takes a lot of courage to share your struggles like this, especially after being in the public eye. 
anyway I'm kinda relieved that he's speaking out about this stuff - mental health is super important and we need more people in positions of power talking about it openly 
hope he keeps talking about it so more people can see how serious it is and not be afraid to ask for help