John Fetterman spoke publicly for the first time about inpatient treatment for depression in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning’s Jane Pauley.
Fetterman was discharged from the hospital today, according to his agent. Joe Calveroafter spending six weeks at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center while dealing with clinical depression.
The freshman senator from Pennsylvania tells Paulie about the downward spiral in a clip posted online. She “stopped eating and lost weight. I stopped doing some of the things I loved most about life.”
Fetterman says he was aware of the paradox given his political success.
“It’s like, you just won the biggest race in the country, and the whole thing about depression is that you could be totally convinced that, objectively, you might have won, but depression actually lost.” And that’s exactly what happened, and that was the beginning of the downward spiral.”
Calvello said in a statement that Fetterman is back in Pennsylvania and will return to work when the Senate resumes session in April.
“I’m so happy to be home,” Fetterman said Friday, according to NBC News.
The senator also thanked Walter Reed’s staff for their advice to others who may be suffering.
“I am extremely grateful to the wonderful team at Walter Reed. The care they provided changed my life,” Fetterman said. “We’ll be talking more about this soon, but for now I want everyone to know that depression is treatable and that treatment works. There are people in red counties and blue counties struggling with depression, if you need help, ask for help.”
