Today, he was interviewed by Jane Pauley for Sunday Morning. Tremendous compassion for him and his family. We have a topic on his election, but in a way, this is really his beginning by returning to the Senate. John's Senate page: https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/One-in-three stroke patients develops depression. Twenty-one million American adults have experienced major depression. What makes John Fetterman's diagnosis unique (but not unprecedented) is a politician sharing it publicly. "My message right now isn't political," he said. "I'm just somebody that's suffering from depression."
Sen. John Fetterman discusses his depression, recovery
CBS Sunday Morning
36,991 views Apr 2, 2023 #johnfetterman #depression #mentalhealth
In an interview days before his release from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Pennsylvania Senator talked with "Sunday Morning" anchor Jane Pauley about his "downward spiral" that led to a diagnosis of major depression. He also talks about sharing news of his difficulties publicly, how his health scare affected his family, and his reasons for feeling hopeful for the future.
OpEd by Gisele Barreto Fetterman in Elle:
Much more and photos: https://www.elle.com/culture/career-pol ... man-essay/The Tired Trope of the ‘Power Hungry’ Woman
In an exclusive op-ed, Gisele Fetterman recounts the “vicious attacks” she received after her husband, Sen. John Fetterman, checked into Walter Reed to seek treatment for clinical depression.
Politics can require living the worst moments of your life in public.
About a month ago, my husband John checked into Walter Reed to seek treatment for clinical depression. In an instant, our world—already closely monitored, highly scrutinized, and heavily trolled by right-wing extremists—exploded.
Media trucks circled our front yard. Our kids were home from school, hurting. So I did the first thing I could think to do: Packed them in the car and drove.
On the banks of Niagara Falls, we talked about flexibility, open hearts, and open minds. We talked about how joy, love, and fun can—and must—coexist with pain and heartbreak. We talked about doing scary things while remaining gentle with ourselves and with each other. We also talked about how incredibly brave their father’s actions were.
I’m so glad we had that time together to process this difficult moment as a family. Especially because, while we didn’t know it yet, another storm was brewing.
From the moment John shared his news, vicious attacks started pouring in. John suffered a stroke during his Senate campaign, so I already knew how cruel people could be about judging someone’s health and using it as a weapon. But I’ll admit, I was surprised to find that this time the vast majority of the harassment wasn’t directed toward John—but at me.
On social media, people accused me of kidnapping the kids and running away to Canada. They promoted conspiracy theories claiming I was an ambitious, power hungry wife, secretly plotting to fill his Senate seat. It was all so wildly preposterous.
Threats against me and my family multiplied in frequency, volume, and severity, including active threats of harm.
Soon enough, what started on the extreme fringe worked its way into the right-wing media: Candace Owens called me an “absolute monster” on Fox News. A Washington Examiner column claimed I was failing my husband. Threats against me and my family multiplied in frequency, volume, and severity, including active threats of harm.
To say these attacks frighten me and my children would be a grave understatement. But at the same time, I’ve been dealing with a version of this for several years now. As soon as John’s political profile began to grow, I started receiving hate mail—ten times more than John ever got himself.