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Senator John Fetterman Checked Himself into a Hospital For His Depression and People Are Commending Him For Taking Care of His Mental Health

Senator John Fetterman Checked Himself into a Hospital For His Depression and People Are Commending Him For Taking Care of His Mental Health
Credit: Governor Tom Wolf from Harrisburg, PA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Mental health is often overlooked because it’s been stigmatized for so long.  

However, the reality is that by normalizing the prevalence of mental health, lives will be saved. This is why it’s important to talk about how Senator John Fetterman checked himself into a hospital to seek help for his clinical depression. 

“While John has experienced depression off and on throughout his life, it only became severe in recent weeks,” his chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, tweeted as part of the official statement. 

According to the thread of tweets, Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s Senator, was evaluated on Monday by the attending physician of Congress, Dr. Brian P. Mohanan. After the initial evaluation, Dr. Monahan recommended inpatient care at Walter Reed. 

“John agreed,” Jentleson continued in his tweets. “He is receiving treatment on a voluntary basis,” Mr. Jentleson said. “After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself.” 

The support for Senator Fetterman speaks volumes

His Brazilian wife, Gisele Barreto Fetterman, also tweeted about John Fetterman’s decision to seek help. 

“After what he’s been through in the past year, there’s probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John. I’m so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs.” 

She also wrote that this is a difficult time for our family, so please respect our privacy. “For us, the kids come first. Take care of yourselves. Hold your loved ones close, you are not alone,” she added. 

It is of note that Senator Fetterman suffered a stroke in May of 2022, which didn’t allow him to campaign for the midterm elections for about two months. Since his stroke, he’s had a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted to keep track of his heart rhythm. It is also important to understand that there is such a thing as post-stroke depression.  

Though this must be an incredibly trying moment for the Fettermans, it was a breath of fresh air to see how many people, including people from the Latine community, support the senator’s choice to get mental health treatment.  

What this means for our community

For a long time, society viewed anything relating to mental health as a sign of weakness. The Latine community, for instance, viewed mental health illnesses as a sign of weakness and many likened it to “cosas de locos.” Machismo has also played a part in how our community reacts to mental health. For example, men are taught not to show any sign of vulnerability, even if it can be damaging to their mental health. But, as we progress as a society, more and more people are understanding that mental health is as important as physical health. 

Sen. Fetterman is using his platform to let others know that mental health is vital to our lives. He is showing men that it is okay to ask for help as well. Truly, there is nothing wrong with doing what’s best for your health.  

Remember, taking care of your mental health is not only brave, but it is also what should be done. Prioritizing your mental health should be as common and normal as getting your physical check-up every year.  

Let’s hope this serves as a wake-up for Congress and that they will start implementing laws that can help those struggling with their mental health. 

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