Submitted by Hardscrabble Farmer
‘I Thought It Might End My Career’: Four Congressional Dems Open Up About Their Mental Health Struggles in Emotional Conversation
ABC News’ Brittany Shepard hosted a moving conversation with four Congressional Democrats who opened up about America’s mental health struggles — including their own.
Sheppard interviewed Sen. Tina Smith (MN), and Reps. Seth Moulton (MA), Ritchie Torres (NY) and Ruben Gallego (AZ). The discussion took place amid the ongoing news about Senator John Fetterman’s (PA) psychiatric treatment for depression.
The conversation opened with the four lawmakers discussing the mental health challenges each of them faced in the past. When asked about Fetterman’s hospitalization, Smith offered her “intense empathy” for Fetterman, while Gallego said “I was scared for him.”
“I know when you start talking about mental illness or what you’re dealing with, there’s also people that will target you for it,” Gallego said. “They will try to tear you down, they will try to use it against you, against your family.”
When asked if he was ever “scared” about the reaction to speaking publicly about mental health challenges, Moulton said “I thought it might end my career.”
“I thought I could be out of politics the next day,” he said. “Instead of being castigated, I remember how many people in the next few days and weeks came up to me and just opened up.”
“Telling our stories is a form of public service,” Torres added. “We represent people who are deeply affected by mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, who want to see themselves and their elected officials. And I felt like I had a profound obligation to confront the culture of silence and stigma and shame that often surrounds the subject of mental health.”
While Moulton was gladdened by the “tremendous progress” America has made in dispelling mental health stigmas, he noted that “we have so much further to go.” He and his colleagues continued by pitching ideas Congress could take to further advance the country’s mental health.
Watch above via ABC.
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So the inmates really are running the asylum . . . into the ground.
Yes, but what does it really matter …they are ALL only figureheads in this continual dog and pony show. This country is being and has been run by one worlder’s behind the scenes. Not necessarily American, but foreign entities flush with cash.
You don’t put a crash test dummy behind the wheel and then expect a smooth ride.
Whoever installed him knew the wreck was coming BEFORE they acted to install our idiot.
Honk Honk.
Democrats are all mentally challenged.
Everyone who supports Caesar is.
There should never be any connection between career and politician. BAD combination.
How can you believe the things democrats believe, and not be mentally imbalanced?
You got that backwards.
I hope and pray they have been quintuple covid boosted.
They’re all lefties, right? And where the hell is the REAL Fetterman?
Trolling at its best. All this needs is to all to confess that they’re trans.
They used to say that the only thing that would ruin a Democrat political carreer was to be caught having sex with a young girl or a dead boy. That wouldn’t be enough to oust a Democrat today.
Well maybe if America was a fair place where people’s hard work was rewarded and where our “leaders” cared about us and looked out for our best interest, where the basics of life were affordable, we had strong families and education taught people to think for themselves positive mental health would be rampant?
Its the guilt from the democrat party criminal pedophile shit.
A supplier of dementia meds to the Congress and WH once said (paraphrased): ‘no one will believe how many dementia meds are authorized and sent to Congress and Fed employees all the time.’
I guess so, since many are in their late 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. And they still won’t give up the $$$, power and position.
It’s the norm.
Roll up the clown car and they all pile out.
Half of the palliative care workers I deal with have admitted anti-depressant usage. It isn’t really that hard to understand. The world is falling apart and people can’t deal with it. As if normal day 2 day wasn’t bad enough, right?
There is no more “mental health stigma”. In fact it is now fashionable to be mentally ill.